Amber
by Camouflage
Summary: When an old love shows up in Venice, Ezio's world stands on end as they lead each other through a deadly labyrinth of intrigue, lies, and secrets. EzioxOC
1. Monteriggioni

So, I was kind of in the mood for a new love story, and I wanted to try a genre that I've never done ... I've never written a story based on a video game, so let's see how this goes. I have a very gradual style, and I often move a little too slowly. Hopefully I don't get too into that habit for this story ... anyway enough rambling. I hope you enjoy. Reviews are always welcome. I'm not THAT knowledgeable about the game, I have only ever watched it being played (though I have watched quite a bit) so if there are any SERIOUS errors, please let me know. I try to stay relatively close to canon. ANY kind of criticism is welcome. If you like it, please tell me. If you hate it, DEFINITELY tell me.

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It was early morning in Monteriggioni. The few owners of the small shops in the piazza were just getting to their stores, unlocking the big wooden doors and opening them wide to greet the day and potential customers. Soon, within a few hours, the streets would be filled with shouting men selling their wares, women haggling for lower prices, and children picking what they could from the pockets of unsuspecting shoppers.

But for now, it was quiet, and that was just the way Ambra Conti liked it. She was walking very slowly towards the market, knowing that if she got there too soon, she would be waiting for the vendors to be ready to serve her. So she took her time.

Ambra had been born and raised in Monteriggioni, and she had no desire to ever live anywhere else, as she thought it most beautiful. Everything about her small hometown, from the way her shoes clicked against the stones that paved the streets, to the buildings that loomed powerfully over her, blocking the early morning Tuscan sun from her eyes, put a large smile on her face.

"Buongiorno! Ambra!" Signor Monticello waved at her as he saw her approaching the market. He was the man from whom she always bought her fruit. She always visited him first, too, because he was an early riser like she was.

"What have you for me today, Signore?" She questioned as she leaned over and inspected grapes, olives, apples, and something orange she had never seen before. "Che cosa-" but before she could get her question out, the fruit man answered her question.

"It's called a tangerine," he told her. "They come from Morocco. Delicious. Try one!" He had already had one peeled, and gave a piece to Ambra to sample. Being the lover of food that she was, Ambra eagerly put the fruit in her mouth, surprised by the tangy sweetness.

"Mmmm!" She exclaimed. "I'll take a few! Mamma will love this."

"Good! You know, the skins make great seasoning if you grind them up!" he stated as Ambra started feeling the tangerines and placing them in her bag. She also selected some grapes and apples, paid the man, and went on her way.

A light wind had picked up and started blowing tentatively between the buildings, whipping Ambra's honey blonde hair, for which she was named, around her face. The people of Monteriggioni were known for being a little fairer than the rest of their Tuscan countrymen, and Ambra was no exception.

Being that it was summer, her skin was the color of very milky coffee, and her freckles were quite abundant. Long, thick eyelashes, a little lighter than her hair, rimmed her dark green eyes, which were now squinting as the sun broke through some of the houses. At sixteen she was tall for her age, only standing a few inches below many of the men in the town. She hoped that she would stop growing, as girls were supposed to be small and dainty.

Ambra wiped her hair from her face and decided it was time to get down to business. She had bought her fruit, which was something of an indulgence, on which she had to spend her _own_ money when her mother didn't need it. Now she removed a list from the cloth bag she was carrying. Her mother needed two onions, some garlic, semolina, flour, and a few spices. Pasta for dinner, then.

Ambra was thinking that it was odd for her mother to be using onions for her sauce when she looked up and saw someone she had never seen in Monteriggioni before. He was tall, much taller than she was, which wasn't something that she was used to.

He was looking at vegetables; onions, to be precise. She wanted to go over and introduce herself, there weren't very many handsome boys her age in town, and the ones that _were_ attractive had no interest in her, unfortunately. Her father was known to be a little … unreasonable.

"Signor Marchi," she asked of the fish salesman. "Who is that?" She wasn't sure if he would know, but she had to ask someone.

"Oh, him!" Ambra smiled, pleased that he knew. "That's Mario Auditore's nephew. From Firenze. He arrived a few days ago with his mother and sister. You didn't hear this from me, but they had some trouble back home. His father and two brothers were killed-" Ambra gasped and Signor Marchi silenced her.

"How do you know this, Signore?" she asked.

"Can't tell you that," he answered. "Now, if you're not buying any fish, get out of here!" and he pushed Ambra in the direction of the stranger.

Well, she needed some onions as well. Slowly, she approached the young man and stood next to him, pretending that she was very interested in the tomatoes in front of her. Being that she was considered rather pretty, Ambra expected him to at least look at her, but he didn't even seem to notice that she was there.

"Is your mamma making pasta and white sauce tonight as well?" she asked as the started feeling the onions, wanting to only select the best. Ambra was a bit of perfectionist.

"No," he answered flatly without looking up. Taken aback, Ambra flinched. She wasn't used to being addressed in such a way.

"Oh …" she said slowly. "Well, what are the onions for?"

"Do you plan on making it for me?" he asked.

"I-"

"No," he answered for her. "I don't think that you are." Finally he looked at her, and Ambra flinched once more. His eyes were so dark that they looked like they were black, and they were full of something that Ambra couldn't identify exactly. But it wasn't pleasant. "What do you want?"

"I … I just wanted to say hello. Introduce myself. My name is Ambra. Ambra Conti." She held out her hand, but the boy ignored it. Instead he just smirked at her.

"Ambra," he retorted. "I can see why." He brushed past her without picking up any tomatoes. "Good bye." Ambra was left standing there, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. She had never been treated so rudely in her entire life. Still flustered, she continued squeezing, accidentally squeezing one too hard so that the juice exploded all over her fingers, causing her eyes to tear.

"Merda!" she cursed silently as she started wiping the juice from her fingers, using her mouth to clean the tips, figuring she might as well sample the wares.

"Oooh, I can think of a few things I would like for you to put in your mouth!" Ambra sighed but did not turn around. She knew exactly who it was. Francesco De Luca. He was a little older than she was, and one of the few boys around who did not fear what her father would do to him, for his own father was quite powerful in Monteriggioni. "Come, Ambra, don't be so shy."

Ambra decided it was best to hurry up, so she picked up a few cloves of garlic and moved on to the herbs, wishing that her mother would just grow her own instead of buying them every time she needed them. Perhaps she would start her own garden to avoid situations like this.

Francesco had finally reached her, and she could feel him looming above. He, too, was tall, and quite handsome, with light brown hair and eyes almost the same color as Ambra's hair. It was too bad that his personality was absolutely repulsive.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Go away, Francesco," Ambra suggested. He laughed, and took her bag from her.

"What's for dinner tonight, eh?" He asked. "Maybe I'll come over, sample your cooking. I wouldn't marry someone without knowing that she was a good cook, first."

"I wouldn't marry someone I despised, either," Ambra answered.

"Does your father know you speak this way?" Francesco demanded of her as Ambra handed over the money to pay for her food. Naturally, the vendor would not stick up for her. No one ever stood up to Francesco. He could do whatever he wanted in Monteriggioni and no one would try to stop him.

"What way, Francesco?" she asked.

"So disrespectfully," he answered as he grabbed her by the arm. "So, just invite me over for dinner tonight, and I will count us even, yes?"

"You're not coming to my house, Francesco," Ambra told him. "Not tonight, at least."

"Why? Do you have another guest?"

"I do not have to explain to you why, Francesco," Ambra stated. "Now, please let go of me."

"Not until I get an invitation, Miss Conti," Francesco corrected her. "I'm sure that your mother would be very pleased to see me at her dinner table." This was undoubtedly true. Maria Conti had four daughters, and Ambra was the second. The one thing that occupied her thoughts was getting her daughters respectably married, and Francesco De Luca was _definitely _a good candidate for the position of Ambra's husband, at least in her mother's eyes. He had good parents, nice sisters, and money.

That was what mattered to her mother. Her father, though, wasn't so ready to get rid of her. In fact, he preferred that all of his daughters stayed virgins for the rest of their lives.

"Perhaps you should call on my father and ask him like a proper gentleman would," Ambra suggested. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few other things to do today and I have to bring these home to my mother so she can start the sauce."

"I _will_ call on your father," said Francesco. "Or maybe your mother. I shall accompany you home. Allow me to carry these for you, Signorina." Without waiting for her to hand it over, he took her bag and took her arm, looping it in his as they walked. "You know, Ambra, you really should not fight against me so hard. As he said this, Ambra removed her arm and grabbed her bag.

"Please leave me alone, Francesco," she asked, in a voice that sounded like she knew that her request would not even be acknowledged.

"Once I'm invited to dinner, I will leave you alone until it is time to eat," Francesco assured her as he pulled Ambra down her street, and when they reached her home, he knocked on the green door. A few seconds later, the door was pulled open, and Ambra's mother, Anna, was standing on the other side of the threshold. She was a woman somewhere in her mid forties, young for a mother of four.

"Francesco De Luca!" she exclaimed, her wide smile splitting her friendly face almost in half. Her eyes, the same color of Ambra's, smiled as well as her mouth as she tried to usher Francesco into the house, but he declined.

"No, Signora Conti, I just wanted to see Ambra home safely, and she told me that I should ask if I was welcome in your home for dinner tonight." Ambra sighed with frustration; that was definitely twisting the meaning of her words.

"Welcome?! At my home! Always, Francesco! Always!"

"Dinner is at six," I told him as I walked into the house.

"Ignore my daughter," said Anna, "he father spoils her rotten and she does not know how to be polite. We'll be happy to have you, Francesco. And dinner is at _five_." Francesco smiled, waved and walked away, a spring in his step. He always got exactly what he wanted.

)0(

"Ambra, wipe that frown off your face right now. Francesco De Luca is coming to dinner, and I'll tell you that he is not doing it in order to court _me_," Anna Conti demanded of her daughter as she crushed the oregano leaves that would be used to season her sauce.

"Francesco De Luca-" began Ambra, but her mother cut her off with a sharp rap on the head with her wooden spoon.

"You will be nice to that boy, Ambra," she ordered. "And you'll put on something nice for when he comes over."

"Si, Mama," Ambra said, resigned. That was when there was a knock on the door. It was too early for dinner, so Ambra knew it couldn't have been Francesco, but this fact did not register with her mother.

"I'll get it, just to make sure that you don't scare him away," Anna stated. She went to the door and opened it, and was very surprised to see a boy that she _didn't_ know. He was very tall and very dark, which implied that he wasn't from Monteriggioni. "Yes?"

"Is Ambra here?" he asked. "My name is Ezio Auditore."

"Are you related to Mario?"

"Yes, he is my uncle," Ezio answered. "Is Ambra here?"

"Yes, she is," she answered. "She's helping me in the kitchen. What do you want from her?"

"I was rude to her this morning, and I just wanted to apologize for my behavior in the market. Could you tell her that I am here to speak with her? I will wait out here." Anna gave him a strange look and told him to wait while she went and retrieved her daughter.

"Ambra," she began, "there is a boy named Ezio at the door for you."

"I don't know anyone named Ezio, Mamma," Ambra answered as she continued crushing oregano leaves and sprinkling them into the sauce.

"He knows _you_," Anna told her. "He says that he is Mario Auditore's nephew." Now _that_ rang a bell. Ambra dropped the pestle she was using, wiped her hands on her apron, and then started towards the door. However, she stopped quickly, took of the apron, and threw it at her mother. As she walked towards the front door, she straightened the skirt of the green dress she was wearing, and was just finishing up when she saw him.

"Buon pomeriggio," she greeted coolly, remembering how she had been treated that morning.

"Buon pomeriggio," he echoed. "Ambra."

"Can I help you?"

"Not really," Ezio answered, "but I was feeling badly about how … abrupt I was this morning. Please accept my apology."

"That's it?" Ambra asked.

"Is there anything else that you think I should say?" he inquired.

"I am just shocked," Ambra responded. "You were just feeling badly?"

"I have a sister," he explained. "If a man ever acted that way towards her, I would cut his tongue out and make him eat it. I decided that I couldn't live by a double standard. My uncle told me where you live. I hope that you don't' mind my coming here."

"Of course not," she assured him, allowing a smile to pull up the corners of her mouth. "I appreciate your coming, Ezio."

"Think nothing of it, Signorina," Ezio said. "ArrivederLa." Ezio turned on his heel and stalked away. Ambra let him go for a few steps, but then she called his name. He turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Would you like to come for dinner? Mamma is making pasta. I'm helping with the sauce." She flashed him the brightest smile she could manage, using her whole face to express how much she wanted him to come to dinner. If Francesco was going to be there, she needed something that was going to take her mind off of it.

"When is dinner?" he asked, and it took all of Ambra's strength to keep herself from jumping up and down with joy, and he hadn't even said that he was going to come, yet.

"Five," she answered.

"I will be there," Ezio told her. "Until then." He turned around again and started walking away, leaving Ambra with a large smile plastered across her face. She floated inside on a cloud, and when she alighted in the kitchen, her mother was looking at her strangely.

"What just happened out there?" she asked.

"Ezio is coming to dinner," Ambra stated.

"CHE?!" her mother demanded.

"Ezio is coming to dinner," she repeated. "There is plenty of food and plenty of room, so I do not know why you are looking at me like that. However, if you would like for me to rescind the invitation, I suppose I can go to Signor Auditore's house and tell him that-"

"No, you will not do that. That would be extremely rude." Her mother crossed the kitchen with pieces of shredded garlic and dropped them into the sauce. "I just wish that you would ask me about these things, Ambra, before you just went and did them. I wish I could threaten you with telling your father, but I know that wouldn't work."

"Not a bit," Ambra agreed as she kissed her mother on the cheek.

"This dinner is going to be interesting," her mother remarked. She wasn't wrong.


	2. Cena

Ambra stopped helping prepare dinner about forty-five minutes before their guests were set to arrive. Now that Ezio was coming, she felt the urge to look … pretty for him. She was glad that it was summer, for her warm-weather dresses were so much more enjoyable than the ones she wore in the winter.

She chose green once more, only this dress had a square neckline, which it made it possible to see quite a bit of her cleavage. Both Ezio and Francesco were tall, and if they stood directly over her, they would probably be able to see clear down to her navel.

Her father would not be happy. However, Ambra knew just as well as anyone else did that her father would never imply that anything she did was not completely perfect. It would be agony for him sitting there, looking at his daughter, half-dressed as far as he concerned, under the scrutinizing gaze of two young men.

It _would_ be an interesting dinner. Anna was not wrong about that. Before leaving her bedroom, Ambra consulted the looking glass. She wished that she had more time, for her hair wasn't sitting _just_ the way she wanted it to; but the soft waves that brushed her collarbone and cascaded down her back were still quite agreeable to her. So she left the room and headed for the back stairs that led into the kitchen.

"Are they here, yet Mamma?" she asked. Her mother was still in the kitchen, watching the maids as they put her pasta, sauce, and bread on serving plates. She reminded one of them not to forget the wine, and sent her into the cellar.

"No, thank God," she answered. "Per l'amor di Dio! What are you wearing?"

"Mamma, you bought me this dress, remember?" Ambra asked.

"Yes, I did," she answered. "I think you might have … grown a little, though."

"It fits perfectly, Mamma," Ambra assured her, and then there was a knock at the door. Of course, Ambra could not run to answer it, as decorum dictated that she be waiting in the parlor when guests arrived for dinner. So, she quickly moved through the rather sizable house and took a seat on one of the couches. Her two younger sisters were there already, and they stared at Ambra as she came in.

"Papa is going to have an attack," her youngest sister, Patrizia, told her.

"You know very well that Papa is not going to say anything," Ambra assured her as the father in question entered the parlor with Francesco De Luca, who looked straight at Ambra's chest. Her father did the same, and he turned a rather odd shade of purple. As Ambra had predicted, though, he said nothing to her. Instead he bid Francesco sit down.

"Did I come too early?" he asked, expecting that they would begin eating as soon as he arrived.

"Oh no, dinner is ready," Ambra assured him. "It's just that we are waiting for another guest."

"Oh? And who else will be joining us?" he asked.

"I'm not sure if you know him," Ambra stated, and rejoiced in the way Francesco's smile faltered when she said 'him'. "His name is Ezio Auditore. He's just moved here." And just then there was another knock at the door, and Ambra's smile widened even more. For a moment, Signor Conti looked away from him, and Francesco took that opportunity to give Ambra a very dirty look.

Then she heard his voice and suddenly she forgot how much fun she was having torturing Francesco and began to feel excited. He was getting closer and closer and Ambra looked away from the door to try and look like she was disinterested, but when he entered, she couldn't help it. He was so tall, and his legs were long and lean, topped off by what looked like a torso that matched. His arms were obscured by the wide sleeves of his shirt, but all of her focus was on his face.

He was so dark. Black hair, dark eyes, and not just in color but in attitude, and a rough set to his mouth that said he had been through a lot. Of course Ambra knew that he had. His father and brothers were dead. She was surprised that he was even here; she couldn't even imagine losing her father or one of her sisters.

"Buona sera, Signor Conti," he greeted tersely. "Thank you for inviting me to your home."

"Well, it wasn't me that did it," Signor Conti assured him, leaving Ezio feeling a little awkward. Luckily, that was when Anna entered the parlor, her smiling face lightening the atmosphere.

"Dinner is served. Everyone please come into the dining room!" Ezio was the first one to leave the parlor, and Ambra quickly got up and hustled after him.

"You can sit here," Ambra stated as she pointed out a seat that was right next to hers.

"Grazie," he murmured as he stood behind the chair. Obviously he had to wait for the host and all of the ladies to sit down. Francesco chose the seat right on the other side of Ambra, without asking if he could sit there. Patrizia chuckled when she saw the position in which her sister was going to be for the next hour or so and whispered to her older sister, Allegra.

"If nothing else, this should prove to be entertaining."

Anna sat at one end of the table and Signor Conti sat at the other end. There was relative silence as everyone was serving themselves, but once everyone settled in to eat, the conversation began.

"So, Ezio," Francesco, feeling like his territory was being encroached upon, asked, "what brings you to Monteriggioni?"

"My family and I are from Florence," he began. "We just needed to get out of the city. The countryside is really quite … soothing. Serenissima." Sensing that this evening could possibly become a bit of a competition, he decided that he might start getting his hits in early. "E le donne sono bellissime." He said this with a sideways smirk at Ambra, who blushed for two reasons. The first reason being that Ezio had called her a woman, the second that he called her beautiful. _Very_ beautiful, in fact.

"Well, that's definitely true," Allegra agreed with a broad smile.

"What's Florence like?" Patrizia inquired. "We've never been to a big city. I bet it's beautiful!"

"I suppose it depends on what you call beautiful," Ezio answered. "If you like corrupt men, unfair judges, and evil in general … sure, it is a beautiful city." Everyone was a little shocked by this statement, but Ambra dealt with it nicely.

"I think that you can find those things anywhere," she told him.

"Perhaps, but not in such high quantities," Ezio responded as he looked at his plate. Without having to look at them, he could tell that everyone wanted him to explain why he felt this way, but he didn't think that the execution of his father and brothers was proper dinner conversation.

"And not in Monteriggioni," Francesco added.

"Enough of this depressing talk," Anna said sweetly. "My daughter tells me that you have a sister, Ezio."

"Yes, a younger one," Ezio answered. "I suppose that she is about your age," he stated as he looked towards Allegra.

"Really?" Allegra sounded excited. "You must tell her to call on us sometime!"

"Or you could go and call on her," Ambra reminded her sister, thinking that if she did go to the Auditore household looking for Ezio's sister, then it would be a perfect excuse to tag along. Francesco could practically see that particular thought as it crossed Ambra's face, and for the first time he started to panic. He had been trying for months, and this … boy arrived, said a few words, and practically had her eating out of his hand.

"What if I came tomorrow?" Allegra inquired of Ezio.

"I'm sure that Claudia would be happy for some company," Ezio stated. "We are new here and don't really know many people besides my uncle. I'll let my Mamma know that she should expect you."

"Can I come, too?!" Patrizia asked.

"No," Allegra answered immediately.

"Mamma! I never get to do _anything!_" the youngest sister whined.

"When you are your sister's age, you will get to do these things, as well," Anna stated.

"But I'll _never_ be her age!" Patrizia continued to whine. "She'll _always_ be four years older than me!" Everyone around the table laughed, except for Francesco, who was still in complete shock about this hostile takeover of his love interest. Under any other circumstances, he and Ezio could have been friends, because he seemed like he was a good man.

But as it was, there was something keeping Francesco from liking him. His pride would not allow him to say that it was jealousy, but that was what it was. Being that he was the only boy in his family, he was used to being spoiled and getting whatever he wanted. He had applied the same attitude towards Ambra, but it seemed that this was not going to be as easy for him.

It was lucky for Ezio that he wasn't sitting next to Francesco. Extremely lucky. At least that was what Francesco was thinking.

Ezio, on the other hand, was not thinking of Francesco at all. In his position on the other side of Ambra, he might as well have been in Florence for all he cared. The more time he spent in her presence, the more he realized how pretty she was. So used to dark hair and eyes, at first he had been a little put off by her amber hair and green eyes … and all of those freckles! Her face was covered with them.

But her smile was infectious, and it made those green eyes light up. Even her freckles were starting to grow on him. As his eyes traveled down her neck and her chest, he wondered just where those freckles stopped, if they did at all.

"Do you often go to the piazza in the morning?" he asked her.

"If I go, I go early," she answered. "It gets very busy once it hits noon. I don't really like crowds very much."

"I go every morning hoping to see Ambra there," Francesco added.

"Perhaps I will begin making a habit of that as well," Ezio murmured so that only Ambra could hear. She didn't answer for fear of being heard, but she figured that she would probably be making trips to the piazza in the morning more frequently.

"Listen to this boy! He's so sweet," Anna remarked, referring to Francesco.

"But of course Ambra doesn't notice me," Francesco continued, "or acknowledge me if she does. She makes me work."

"So rude and spoiled, Ambra!" her mother exclaimed. "I did not raise you that way!"

"Really?" Ezio asked, surprised as he looked at Ambra. "With the way you introduced yourself to me this morning, I never would have thought that of you." As he looked at Ambra, he could also see Francesco's face, and this comment had the desired effect. He couldn't help it; he had a competitive nature, and there was nothing more fun to compete for than the attentions of a girl.

This was a game that he was good at, and he was happy to throw himself into it, because his recent failure at keeping his father and brothers alive was still eating at him. A distraction was nice, that was why he had accepted the invitation to dinner. He hadn't _really_ wanted to come, but looking at his mother and sister was becoming unbearable; a constant reminder that he had been powerless against the corrupt forces at work in Florence.

"Oh, I'm very friendly," she assured Ezio, and then she looked at Francesco, "it is just that this one sometimes does not know how I would like to be addressed. Why, this morning he-"

"I don't think we need to bore everyone with that story," said Francesco, positive that Signor Conti would not have been pleased with the way he had greeted his daughter that morning.

"Oh are you sure?" Ambra asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I think I know what you are talking about," said Ezio. "You had just squeezed an onion too hard and there was some juice on your fingers, and as you licked it off-"

"I _really_ don't think that they all need to hear this," Francesco interrupted.

"Why would you say something to a lady that you would be ashamed to say in front of her father?" Ezio asked, feigning complete innocence. Francesco narrowed his eyes, and determined that he did _not_ like this boy.

"Please continue, Ezio," Signor Conti urged, his interest piqued. "I'd like to hear this."

"Gladly, Signore," he continued. "So, Ambra was tasting the onion juice on her fingers, and Francesco approached and told her there were a few things he would like her to put in her mouth. Or something like that, I don't know if I quoted him exactly." He looked at Francesco. "Does that sound about right?"

Francesco sputtered, completely flustered. He kept his eyes on his food, not wanting to look up at Signor Conti, which was a good thing, for the look he was giving _might_ have killed. Several times. Ezio smirked, and decided that he would just hammer a few nails into the coffin.

"I'll admit that I was quite disgusted," he stated, "that's definitely not something I would want a man saying to _my_ daughter."

"I think I would agree with you there, Ezio," said Signor Conti. "I'm curious, Francesco. What exactly would you like my daughter to put into her mouth?" Francesco choked on his pasta, and picked up his wine glass to try and clear his throat, as well as give him a moment to prepare an answer.

He didn't think of anything besides, "Nothing, Signore."

"Good," said Signor Conti. Ezio, once again, smiled and then looked at Ambra, who smiled back at him, and at that point, he was quite sure that he was done for.

)0()0()0()0(

"Buona notte, Signor Conti," said Francesco as both he and Ezio were leaving the Conti residence.

"Molto grazie," Ezio added, and then looked over Signor Conti's shoulder at Ambra. "Good night, Ambra."

"I'll see you soon?" Ambra replied.

"I hope so, Signorina. With the permission of your father, of course," he added, looking at Signor Conti, who seemed to like this inclusion of himself in these plans. He wished the boys a good evening one more time and then closed the door.

Ezio started walking in the direction of home, but he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. He turned quickly to see Francesco glaring at him, looking more than a little displeased.

"What were you trying to do in there?" he demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ezio answered as he pushed Francesco's hand away with force.

"You know _exactly_ what I am talking about," Francesco answered. "Can I give you some advice?"

"I'm not sure if I need it," he answered.

"Don't mess with me," Francesco suggested as he got closer, so that his nose was almost touching Ezio's, "and don't touch my things."

"As far as I know, I have not laid a hand on anything that belongs to you," Ezio answered, a small, taunting smile still lingering on his lips. "But I'll keep that in mind."

"You don't want to make an enemy of me," Francesco warned.

"I've dealt with far worse things than you," Ezio stated. "So, if you think that you scare me, you are sadly mistaken. Can I give _you_ some advice?"

"You can try."

"Ambra is not interested," Ezio began, "at least not in you. And if you _ever_ put your hand on me again, I will cut off all of your fingers … and wear them as a necklace. Are we clear?" Ezio did not wait for an answer. He turned on his heel and once again started walking in the direction of his house. For the first few moments, he was waiting for hands on his shoulder once more. In fact, he was kind of hoping for them, as a fight would have calmed his nerves.

But there was nothing but the soft silence of the night surrounding him, and he allowed himself to think of Ambra's freckles the rest of the way home.


	3. Uno Segretto ed un Bacio

"Where have you been, Ezio?" Mario Auditore demanded.

"I told you where I was going, zio," Ezio reminded him. "I went to dinner."

"_Con i Conti, sí_," he remembered, "but I did not expect you to take so long."

"Forgive me," Ezio answered. "I … I lost track of the time. _Mi dispiace_."

"I _do_ know that you have a weakness for pretty girls," Mario told him, "but there are more important things to focus on right now. Like your training. You say that you want to get out of here, and yet you spend your free time-"

"I know what I need to do, uncle," Ezio interrupted him. "It's not that late, there is still plenty of time for training right now."

"So now I operate on your schedule?" Mario asked. "Do you not care about-"

"You know exactly what I care about," Ezio assured him. "Do not pretend that you are speaking to a child that knows nothing."

"I know what you _should_ care about," Mario told him. "But maybe you need a little help setting your priorities straight."

"You want me to train, fine let's do it right now," Ezio suggested testily.

"Not if you want to act like a child," Mario answered. Ezio scoffed and leaned against the wall.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" he asked. "Acting like a child?"

"You're certainly not acting like a man," Mario answered as he crossed the room and stood directly in front of his nephew. "Are you ready, now?"

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"You asked to come with me," Ambra reminded her sister, "if you don't stop complaining, I am going to leave you behind."

"I just don't see the point of getting up at this ungodly hour just to a buy a few things that you could easily purchase later on in the day," Allegra stated.

"I'm not sure if you understood what I just said," Ambra thought out loud.

"Little sisters never listen," said a familiar voice. Ambra looked behind her with a huge smile on her face, only to find that Ezio was not standing behind her. She chose another direction, but he wasn't there, either. "Look up." She followed the direction and looked up, and saw Ezio standing on top of a building.

"What are you doing up there?" Ambra asked him as she shielded her eyes against the morning sun with her hand. She couldn't really see his face, but she heard his laugh.

"Just enjoying the beautiful morning," he answered. "And the view."

"The view would be better from down here!" Allegra exclaimed.

"Allegra!" Ambra scolded. Ezio laughed at Allegra's bold statement.

"It is fine," he said to Ambra. "When you're right, you're right." He backed away from the ledge and out of sight of the girls on the ground.

"_Dove vai?_" Ambra demanded, wondering where Ezio was going.

"He's going to climb down," Allegra responded. They were waiting to see Ezio come from around the corner, but instead, they saw a large blur catapult from the roof of the building he had just been standing on. He landed on his feet behind them, a wide grin on his generous mouth.

"Well, well, the view _is_ better from down here," he observed. "Good morning, Ambra. What are you looking for today?"

To be quite honest, the only thing Ambra had been looking for was Ezio. Of course, it wouldn't have been acceptable to actually say that, so she chose to say nothing. Instead, she just looked up at him with a half smile on her face, hoping that Ezio would receive the message she was trying to convey.

He did. And, being a male who was accustomed to going after what it was he wanted, he knew that he was going to have to be the one to do something about it. He turned to Allegra.

"Do you still plan on calling on my sister today?" he asked. "I told her that you would be coming. She'll be very upset if you don't."

"Of course!" Allegra answered. "I'm sure that I have been looking forward to it just as much as she has, if not more."

"_Bene_," Ezio responded, and then looked over Allegra's shoulder. "I think there is someone over on the other side of the piazza calling for you, Allegra." Allegra turned around and didn't see anyone calling her. Then she looked back at Ezio, who was looking at her meaningfully. "But I will go over there and look a little harder."

"That is a good idea," Ezio stated. "We'll be right here." Allegra wandered off to the other side of the piazza, leaving Ezio and Ambra alone for a few moments.

"What was that about?" Ambra asked.

"Do you plan on coming with her?" Ezio asked as he bent his head towards hers so that he didn't have to speak too loudly, and as he bent over, he got a good whiff of her sent. He knew that she would smell good. She didn't smell like most girls; there was no overwhelmingly sweet smell of flowers. No, she was … earthy, and a little spicy. Her voice snapped him out of his olfactory reflections.

"I did, why?" Ambra asked. "Would you rather that I didn't?"

"Don't be silly," he answered. "Of course I want you come. Just … don't arrive with your sister. We'll never get a moment alone."

"Alone?" Ambra asked. "You want to be alone with me?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Ezio asked.

"What kind of girl do you think I am, Ezio?" Ambra demanded, which threw Ezio off. He was not used to being responded to in such a way, especially by females. "Don't look so surprised, Ezio."

"I'm sorry if I have offended-" he began.

"I know that you are from the city," Ambra began, becoming angry. Normally soft-spoken, when she felt insulted, she became very defensive, "and that the girls there would probably be flattered by these advances, but I am mostly just insulted by them. Did you think that I would just-"

"Slow down, slow down," Ezio said calmly as he took her hands, trying to salvage the situation. "I think that you might have misunderstood me." He squeezed her hands a little tighter. "As much as I would like to get to know you on a more … physical level, that is not what I was talking about when I said I would like to spend some time alone with you."

"What did you mean, then?"

"If you come around to my uncle's villa, perhaps you will find out," Ezio answered. "Just don't come with your sister. I _do_ want you to myself." As he was speaking to Ambra, he looked over her shoulder and saw just who he wanted to see. Francesco De Luca was staring at him, so he thought that he would give him a show.

He reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind Ambra's ear.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, _signorina_," Ezio assured her as he kissed her hand. "It was not my intent. I look forward to seeing you later." Smiling, he turned around and walked away, but he didn't get too far before he scaled a building and came back so that he could watch the aftermath of his little scene.

He wasn't disappointed.

"So now you're a common whore, hm, Ambra?" Francesco asked as he approached her. Ezio flinched as he said this, and he was tempted to jump down again … and land right on top of Francesco, but he fought the urge.

"What makes you say that?" Ambra asked, completely unperturbed.

"I'm not exactly the only one who saw that," Francesco stated. "I know the brothel madame, if you like, I could put in a good word for you." This time, he did get a reaction out of Ambra.

"I don't think that you know who to whom you are speaking," Ambra informed him, "but if you like, I'm sure that I could have someone teach you."

"Do you mean our friend Ezio?" he asked. "Because I'm pretty sure that he thinks the same thing I do. _Una mignotta sporca_." Ezio narrowed his eyes, and for the second time thought of leaving his vantage point, but then Ambra seemed to be able to handle it well enough on her own.

"I'm not sure why you say these things to me when you're trying to get me to marry you," Ambra stated. "With any other girl, sure, but you know that my father is not going to force me into marrying you just because you are Francesco De Luca."

"You think so?" he asked.

"I know so," Ambra assured him, "especially after you call me names like dirty whore."

"I only say what I see, Ambra," Francesco stated. "You just met him yesterday, and now you're holding hands and letting him touch you in public. Your father would be ashamed."

"I don't think so," Ambra answered. "My father quite likes Ezio."

"And he doesn't like me?" Francesco asked sweetly.

"In a word, no," Ambra answered. "Not that it would stop you from trying."

"I don't have to try," Francesco stated. "When no other man will have you, you won't have a choice." Ambra breathed loudly through her nose, signaling her impatience. Ezio had certainly picked a great time to leave her. Now she was most likely going to have to deal with Francesco until she decided to go home.

Luckily, Allegra chose this moment to rejoin her sister, seeing that Ezio was gone and Francesco had arrived.

"Are you all done here, Ambra?" she asked, and then saw the look on her sister's face. She was obviously distressed; Ambra was not very good at hiding her emotions. Papa always called her his _figlia con una faccia di vetro._ His daughter with a glass face.

"I would like to be, yes," she answered. "Am I allowed to leave, now, Francesco?"

"Far be it from to keep you from doing what you want to," he answered. "Until later, _Signorina Conti_." Francesco grabbed one of her hands and kissed it before turning around and walking away.

A little angrier than reason called for, Ezio decided that he would follow him. He did not have to be back at the villa for training for a little while; he figured that he might as well do something useful with his time. He stayed high, watching Francesco as he walked down below. Once he was far enough away from witnesses, Ezio jumped down, landing behind him, frightening Francesco so that he jumped and turned around.

"Did I scare you?" Ezio asked.

"No," Francesco answered as he drew himself to his full height.

"Good," Ezio said mildly as he pushed Francesco against the wall behind him, pinning him there by his shoulders. "How about now?"

"Let go of me!" Francesco demanded as he struggled against Ezio, but the two were not evenly matched; Ezio was much stronger.

"Listen," said Ezio calmly. "I'm not sure how boys are raised here, but in Firenze, we learned that ladies are to be addressed in a certain manner. I don't think I need to tell you that you failed in that respect."

"What are you talking about?" Francesco asked, feigning innocence.

"Don't try that with me," Ezio suggested, sounding like he was bored. "Now, when I was younger and said things I shouldn't have, my parents would put soap in my mouth. Seeing as I don't have any soap …" Francesco didn't even see his hand move, but he sure felt it make a solid connection with his mouth. Ezio let go so that Francesco could crumple to the ground.

Ezio crouched down so that he was leaning over Francesco, who seemed to be having a bit of trouble getting up. Smiling, Ezio hoped that his jaw was broken. He decided to leave him with a few words. "I understand that you desire Ambra. You can't be blamed; she's beautiful. If you insist on pursuing her, _I_ insist that you do so without insulting her. _Capisce?_" Of course there was no answer. "Good. I'm glad that we had this talk." He patted Francesco on the cheek, which caused him to groan. Then he stood up and walked towards home.

He wanted to be ready when Ambra arrived.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"I thought that you said you were going to come with me?" Allegra said to Ambra as the two sisters parted ways on their way to _la villa Auditore_.

"I was, but I remembered that Mamma asked me to run an errand for her," Ambra answered. "Please tell Claudia that I'm sorry that I could not make it this time, and that perhaps she can join us for dinner tomorrow."

"_Va bene_," Allegra answered, shrugging. She was a little disappointed; she liked doing things with her older sister. "_A piu tardi_." They parted ways, and Ambra waited until she was sure that her sister would not see her before she continued in the direction of the villa.

She wasn't exactly sure about what she was supposed to do or where she was supposed to meet Ezio. He hadn't given her any instructions besides not to arrive with her sister. That she had accomplished, but now she was at a loss.

She approached the villa from behind. It had once been a beautiful building, but was not falling into disrepair. It wasn't as obvious from the back as it was from the front, but she still found herself thinking that it was such a shame. As she was thinking about this, she did not realize Ezio approaching her from the side, and when he put a hand on her shoulder, she jumped.

"_Mi dispiace_," said Ezio. "I did not mean to scare you."

"_Va bene_," Ambra responded as she put her hand on her heart. "I suppose that I should have been paying more attention."

"Perhaps," Ezio agreed.

"Now, why is it that you wanted me all to yourself?" Ambra asked flirtatiously.

"Why wouldn't I?" Ezio asked. Ambra didn't have an answer for that. "I thought I would show you something. And I have something to tell you."

"Which first?"

"I'll show, first," he answered. "Are you afraid of heights?"

"Not particularly," she told him.

"Good. Follow me." Then, he started walking towards the wall of the villa. "Are you any good at climbing?"

"I can't say I've ever really tried it," Ambra answered. "Climbing is not really considered a suitable occupation for a lady."

"It's all right. Luckily I am here. You're going to have to do exactly as I say."

"Following directions is something I _am_ good at," Ambra assured him.

"Bene." Without saying anything else, Ezio jumped up and grabbed onto a ledge, pulling himself up. Once he had a firm footing, he turned, got on his knees, and hung his arms over the edge. "Grab my hands."

"Are you serious?" she demanded.

"Come, you're a tall girl. You'll only have to jump a little."

"I don't know about this," Ambra answered.

"If you're worried that I might let you fall, you needn't," Ezio assured her. "I won't drop you." Ambra raised an eyebrow. "_Andiamo!_" Ambra sighed and walked over to the wall. As she put her hands up, she saw that Ezio was right. She barely had to jump before he caught her hands in his. He easily pulled her up, and helped her steady herself. "All right?"

"Yes," Ambra answered as she looked up. "Where are we going?" Ezio turned and pointed to the very top of the villa. Ambra's eyes widened considerably.

"_Che?_" she asked, trying to remain calm.

"It won't be difficult until we start getting higher up," Ezio assured her. "And then I'll help you."

"If you had told me that this was what we would be doing," Ambra began, "I would have suggested an alternative."

"Come now," Ezio said as he made his way to the next climbing point, "I never would have thought that you lacked a sense of adventure. It will be worth it." He jumped once more and pulled himself up, then hung his arms over the ledge once more. Ambra groaned as she glared at him. "Don't look at me like that! I'm doing all the work, here." Ambra trudged over and put her hands up.

They repeated this pattern for a while, until they had only one more story to go.

"Here is where it gets difficult," Ezio stated. "I'm going to have to go behind you, now. You need to put your hands and feet exactly where I tell you, all right? We'll go slowly, take your time."

"Don't worry, I don't want to fall," Ambra assured him as Ezio pointed out a hold where she needed to place her hands. So began the rather arduous process of completing the last part of the climb. It took some time, but eventually both parties reached the very top of the villa.

Ambra's breath was taken away, and not because of the effort it had taken to climb. She had never seen Monteriggioni from this particular view, and it was positively stunning. The hills rolled for what seemed like forever, with doll-sized buildings dotting them occasionally.

"_Bellisima,_" Ambra sighed.

"It is rather spectacular," Ezio agreed. "Here, sit. But carefully, there is a bit of a tilt to the roof." Ezio held Ambra's hands while she situated herself in a seated position, and then sat next to her. "You can see a lot from here." He pointed north, which was the way they were facing. "That way is _Firenze_."

"Do you miss it?" Ambra asked.

"I do," Ezio answered. "I have to go back, that is what I wanted to tell you."

"You're leaving so soon?" Ambra asked him.

"Only briefly, _mia cara_," Ezio answered. "I plan on coming back. I'm not _quite_ done here."

"What are you leaving for?" Ambra inquired.

"I have a little bit of business to attend to in the city," he answered. "Hopefully it will not take me too long, and then I will come back." Ambra pouted, and Ezio ran his thumb across her full lower lip. "Don't look at me like that, it will only upset me, it won't make me stay."

"I can't help it!" Ambra exclaimed. "With you gone, I'll be at the mercy of Francesco."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about him, as long as he doesn't know that I am gone," Ezio stated. "And no one but you and my family will know that I am."

"Is this a secret?" Ambra asked.

"Only a little one," Ezio assured her. His hand was still on her face, and now he used his thumb to stroke her cheek.

"I'm honored that you told me," Ambra said softly. Their faces were getting closer and closer, and now her voice was barely louder than a whisper. She leaned the last few inches needed to make her lips touch Ezio's. She surprised him, and he almost lost his balance, but used his free hand to stead himself before bringing that one to her face as well, caressing the soft skin of her cheeks with both hands. The two separated, but just barely, and Ambra's lips grazed Ezio's as she told him, "_Il tuo segretto é sicuro con me._"


	4. Scemi Innamorati

As Ambra stood on the roof, viewing Monteriggioni, unable to get enough of the spectacular view before her, Ezio brought her back to reality.

"We have to go, _cara_," Ezio told her as he put his hands on her small waist and gazed in the direction in which she was staring. North, towards Florence. He couldn't help but smile; she didn't want him to leave. "I have to bring you home."

"What if I don't want to go home?" Ambra asked. "Just take me with you to _Firenze_."

"That I cannot do," Ezio told her. "It will be no place for you. You've never been to a city and I won't have time to watch over you. Maybe another time."

"What if I promise to stay inside?" Ambra persisted.

"Ambra …" Ezio groaned.

"All right, all right, I'll stay here," Ambra told him, realizing that she was not going to win this battle. "But you had better not take too long."

"Would you like to put a time limit on my trip?" Ezio asked her, meaning to be sarcastic, but Ambra did not pick up on his tone.

"I get to put a time limit on you?" Ambra asked, sounding like she was now entering deep thoughts. "Hmmm, perhaps that wasn't such a good idea, Ezio."

"Be kind to me," Ezio pleaded, even though he knew that he wouldn't really obey any time constraint that she placed on him. But, if it would ease her mind, he would at least pretend that he would. His business in Florence was far more important than anything he might encounter in Monteriggioni. He liked Ambra a lot, but there were some things that could not be forsaken, no matter what.

"Three days," she answered. "A little less than a day to get there, a day to do what you need to do, and then come back."

"One day …" Ezio trailed off. "I don't know."

"Then I guess you'd better ride hard to _Firenze_," Ambra told him, "to give yourself more time there. Three days, Ezio. That's all you're getting from me."

"And what if I don't make it back in time?" Ezio asked.

"I guess that you'll find out, won't you?" Ambra answered. "Now, how do we get down from here?"

"Normally," Ezio began as he let go of Ambra and moved to the edge of the roof. "I would just jump from here and land in that pile of hay right there." He pointed down, but Ambra was not as comfortable with standing on the edge as Ezio was, and didn't see what he was pointing to. "As it is, I will have to help you down."

"Did you think about how you would do this before you brought me up here?" Ambra asked him.

"No," Ezio answered honestly, shrugging. "But I didn't think about how I would get you up, either, and we managed just fine, didn't we?" Ambra just shook her head.

"Life is going to be one big adventure with you around, isn't it?" Ambra asked.

"That's what I like to think," Ezio answered. "From now on, I'm going to have to ask you to wear less clothing. All of these skirts are dangerous."

"What happened last time you made a comment that I could have taken to offense?" Ambra asked, though the smirk on her face let Ezio know that she was only joking, and decided that he could play as well.

"If I recall correctly," Ezio answered as he put a hand to the side of her face, "I made you agree to come here alone. Perhaps you respond well to supposed insults."

"You're trouble," Ambra said to him as she gazed upwards at his dark eyes. Being so young, she had yet to experience feelings like the ones she was feeling now. She wasn't even sure what she was supposed to do with them. She felt like she was being sucked in, with no chance of saving herself or her emotions; the curse of being young. "I wish you would have warned me."

()0()0()0()0()

"I'm leaving tonight," Ezio informed Ambra as they approached her family's villa. "I have a few things that I need to prepare, but then I am going."

"Remember," Ambra reminded him. "Three days."

"Three days," Ezio repeated with a brief nod as he stopped walking and turned to face Ambra, grabbing one of Ambra's hands in both of his. "_You _remember. This is a secret."

"_Uno segretto. Capisco,"_ Ambra answered. Ezio nodded as he bent to kiss her.

"Good girl," Ezio kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin a little longer than he had to. He still wanted to go to Florence, there was no doubt about that. He _more _than wanted to go, but _needed_ to. But, leaving her behind was a little harder than he thought it would be. "Stay out of trouble, hm?"

"Too late for that, Ezio," Ambra answered as she broke out of his grasp and started walking away. He followed her to the door of her house and watched as she entered. Before she closed the door, she turned and smiled at him, and Ezio was quite positive that Ambra wasn't the only one in trouble.

"_Sono a casa!_," Ambra called as she removed the light wrap from her shoulders and hung it on a stand near the door. There was no answer, which she thought strange. It was not late; there was at least a half hour before dinner began. "Mamma? Papa?" She walked towards the kitchen, where her mother could usually be found just before dinner, but there was no one there.

"Allegra! Patrizia!" she exclaimed, starting to become slightly worried. Suddenly she heard a burst of laughter coming from the parlor and breathed a sigh of relief. She had been beginning to think the worst. Ambra had always been a little dramatic.

She moved quickly through the house, curious as to what could have her family so occupied that they did not hear her calling for them. When she pushed the parlor door open, she was completely horrified by what she saw. Her mother, father, and two younger sisters were all sitting around Francesco De Luca, all looking rather pleased and amused by whatever he had to say.

Francesco was the first one to see her when she entered. When he looked at her, Ambra saw that there was a rather large bruise on the left side of his mouth. She wondered where he had gotten it from.

"_Eccolo!_ Here she is." He stood up, as was proper for a gentleman to do when a lady entered the room.

"Ambra! Where have you been?" her mother demanded of her as she stood up as well and kissed Ambra on both cheeks. "You left with Allegra hours ago!"

"I … I lost track of time," Ambra answered, not sure if the truth would have been acceptable. "It was a beautiful day. You know how I get distracted when I am outside."

"Yes, I'm sure that Ambra's diversions were many," Francesco stated in a tone that told Ambra he could make a good guess as to _exactly_ what she really _had_ been doing. "What else could keep her from me?"

"You have been very rude, Ambra," her mother scolded her. "You invited Francesco here and then you were not even here to receive him! Luckily we were here to entertain him." Ambra cut her eyes to Francesco, who just smirked at her.

"I do not recall inviting you here," Ambra stated coolly.

"Now she is just trying to cover herself up," Francesco observed. "_Va Bene, mia cara_, I am not angry." He walked towards her and kissed her hand. Everyone besides her father seemed to be impressed. Ambra was relieved that there was _someone_ in the house who wasn't fooled by his charming façade.

"Well you shouldn't be," Ambra persisted, "seeing as I didn't invite you." Francesco looked up from her hand to glare at her. With a bruised mouth, he was definitely looking extremely dangerous, and a little scary. Ambra had a feeling that, though his words were playful, Francesco De Luca was done joking around with her.

"Well you certainly didn't tell your family about me," Francesco agreed, "and I've been told that, since they didn't know they were to be expecting me, enough dinner was not prepared."

"Please be aware of my sincere regret," Anna told Francesco. "I would love for you to dine with us again."

"And I would love once more to be a guest in your beautiful household," Francesco responded. "But, as I was rather looking forward to dinner with Ambra, I was hoping it would be all right if I invited her to my home for a meal this evening. My mother and sisters are very eager to see her. It has been quite some time."

"Oh! She would love to go!" Anna assured Francesco as she stood up. "_Wouldn't_ you, Ambra?" Ambra, knowing that she would not find an ally in her mother, looked towards her father. He seemed like he did not really approve of this proposal, but when it seemed to make his wife happy, he really could not refuse her. The only person that Agostino Conti spoiled more than his daughters was his wife.

"Go, Ambra," he ordered reluctantly. "But return as soon as you are done. You know that your tutors are coming tomorrow."

"_Sí, Papá_," Ambra answered as she walked back towards the entrance hall so that she could grab her wrap, but before she could take in her hand, Francesco reached over her shoulder and grasped it for her.

"Allow me," he purred. Ambra snatched it from his hands and put it on himself. "You know, Ambra, this really is pointless. If I want you, I'll have you."

"I know," Ambra responded, "isn't it obvious that is the reason why I am so discontent?"

"How could you possibly do better than me, Ambra?" Francesco asked as the two of them exited the Conti residence. "With that coarse, Florentine _cacasodo?_" By this time, Ambra had picked up quite a bit of pace and was walking as quickly as she possibly could, thinking the faster they made this journey, the faster she could get home and shut herself inside until Ezio returned.

"You are the _last_ person in the world who could call anyone arrogant, Francesco," Ambra informed him.

"And you would know all about arrogance," Francesco agreed. Ambra sighed. There were always insults coming from his mouth, and it was becoming extremely tiresome. She decided that there was no point in answering him anymore, as nothing she could possibly say would deter him. For one reason or another, he wanted her for himself, and unless someone stopped him, she wasn't going to have a choice.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"Pay attention, Ambra!" Madame LeBlanc barked as she slapped Ambra across the hand with the small baton she carried for that purpose specifically. Though, normally it was one of Ambra's younger sisters that needed to be corrected. "Do you even remember what I just said?"

Ambra, so rudely snapped out of her daydream, flinched and looked at her teacher. They were doing French, now, and Ambra was sure that she could _pretend_ that she was paying attention if she could just remember what her assignment had been.

"The subjunctive," Ambra finally spoke, "is the mood used to express things that have not happened, or are not real." Ambra had been living in the subjunctive for the past four days, waiting for Ezio to come back. He was late, but there wasn't really much that she could do about that. The only thing she could do was wait, and Ambra was not a very patient person. She never had been.

"Good," Madame LeBlanc responded. "Now, pay attention. Your parents are not paying me to stand here and allow you to daydream." Ambra nodded and focused all of her energy and listening to what her tutor was saying, but there was really nothing that could be done for it. She kept thinking of all the possible reasons why Ezio was taking so long.

The first was that he was dead. Ambra dismissed this thought. She couldn't see any reason for that, and figured that she was just being dramatic, as was her wont to do.

The second reason was that he had found another girl to entertain him there. This one was much easier to follow, for Ezio seemed like the type of boy who had girls falling all over him. After all, he certainly had _her_ on his hook. Ambra would have been the first to admit that.

She struggled through the rest of her French lesson, waiting for the time when she would be allowed to have her lunch and a little rest. When she was finally dismissed, she was the first to leave the room. Her sisters had a few extra questions for the teacher. Ambra didn't care. She only had two hours before she was expected to be back in their classroom, and she was going to waste those hours inside.

She called to whoever might be listening that she was going out and that she would be back in time for their next lesson. Without taking her wrap, the day was extremely warm, she exited the house and breathed a large sigh. She had some money, so she could perhaps buy her lunch if she so felt, but she wasn't really hungry. She hadn't had much of an appetite since the day before, when Francesco, yet again, had joined her family for dinner.

Realizing that getting Signor Conti to like him was a lost cause, he figured out that the only way to possibly gain his approval was through Anna. Anna was much easier to please. She just wanted all of her daughters respectfully married. She didn't much care to whom. It was very difficult for Ambra to keep ill thoughts of her mother from her head. She hoped that she would never become as blind.

Warily, she walked through the streets of Monteriggioni, keeping her eye out for Francesco, who seemed to pop up wherever she was. He was getting a bit brave now that he hadn't seen Ezio in a few days. He seemed to be having even more trouble than usual with keeping his hands to himself.

She turned the corner and stopped a small stall, where multiple silk ribbons of many different colors. Ambra was leaning over the cart, deciding which she would like to buy, when she heard a voice behind her.

"You shouldn't tie up hair like that." Automatically, a smile spread across Ambra's face and she turned around to see Ezio. He was smiling at her, but there was still something different about his face. He looked tired and strained, as if he had jut been through a great deal. His mouth was smiling, and he was happy to see her, but there was a look in his eyes that spoke volumes more than his words did.

But Ambra figured she could ask him about it later. For now, she was just happy to see him. She didn't care that they were in public or that someone might see. His arms were open and she stepped into them, pressing her face against his broad chest, reveling in the feel of his strong arms holding her close to him.

"_Sei in ritardo_," she told him without looking up at him.

"_Mi dispiace, mia cara_," Ezio responded. "I was … delayed. My business in _Firenze_ was extremely important."

"More important than me?" she asked.

"More important than _anything_," Ezio answered as he held her at arm's length and looked down at her. "Not that I didn't miss you, of course."

"How many girls did you kiss while you were away?" Ambra asked as the two of them started walking. They had no direction or purpose, they were just walking for the sake of it.

"Several," he answered playfully "But none of them were as pretty as you."

"At least you know the right thing to say," Ambra told him. "I guess that you are not in _too_ much trouble."

"Yes, I realized yesterday that it probably was not my greatest idea to allow you to place a time constraint on my journey," he said on a sigh, "but I'm back now, and only a day late. Tell me, _bella_, what have I missed?"

"Nothing much besides Francesco worming his way into my family," Ambra responded. "He seems quite set on having me. At the rate he's going, no doubt he will." Ambra said this with the hope of scaring Ezio into some kind of action. There was no doubt in Ambra's mind that she would _much_ prefer marrying him to Francesco, but if that were going to happen, he would act quickly.

However, Ezio did not react to this statement. At least not the way that Ambra wanted him to.

"He's spoiled and used to getting what he wants," Ezio told her. "And he doesn't mind working for it, it seems."

"No, he will do what he has to," Ambra agreed.

"Well, that at least is respectable. He hasn't said anything he shouldn't have, has he?" Ezio asked. "After he called you a whore, we had some words."

"I _thought_ that the bruise on his mouth had been you," Ambra stated, knowing exactly what 'words' meant.

"I couldn't allow him to speak to you that way," Ezio assured her.

"I'm glad that I have you to look after me, then," Ambra stated as she grabbed his hand. However, Ezio immediately removed his hand from her grasp. Her hand was dangerously close to his hidden blade, and the smallest wrong movement on her part could take her fingers clean off. However, Ambra didn't know this, and looked away, embarrassed.

Ezio sighed. Obviously that had not been his intention. Looking around, he spotted a place where they could perhaps have some privacy, grabbed her by the wrist, and dragged her over to it. It was a narrow alley between two houses, and at first she protested, but there was no way she could overpower him.

Once the two of them were far enough into the alley, Ezio lightly pushed her against the wall and pinned her there not with his hand, but with his body. There were no open spaces between them, and suddenly Ambra's breath started coming shorter. She stared up at Ezio, and observed that he seemed so much calmer than she felt. Without thinking, her hands rose to his waist as his came to her face, stroking her cheeks gently.

"I missed you, _cara_," he murmured, his lips grazing hers as he spoke to her.

"Your words mean nothing to me," she informed him, a playful smile now creasing her face. Instead of kissing her, Ezio, ran his thumb across her lips in the same way he had before their first kiss. It was a gesture that Ambra had remembered keenly every night since he had gone, and she had longed to feel him touch her like that again. Now that he was, she felt as if he was the only thing holding her up. If it weren't for him pinning her to the wall, she would be a pool at his feet.

"Nothing?" Ezio asked. "In that case, perhaps I will not speak to you anymore."

"Thank God!" Ambra exclaimed just in time for Ezio to cover her mouth with his, stifling any further outbursts. His tongue parted her lips, leaving her mouth at his mercy. Worried that she might not be quite as keen as he was, he decided to be gentle with her, but then he felt her hands slip under his hood as she tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him into her, and he couldn't resist.

He placed one hand against the wall to brace himself, and the other floated to her waist, his arm wrapping around her thin midsection, easily going all the way around her back in order to pull her even closer to him. It was almost as if he had completely dissolved into her, his hood shielding both of their faces from anyone who might approach them.

For now, they were safe.


	5. Assassinio

Thanks so much to all of my reviewers! I really, REALLY appreciate all the friendly words! True to my word, I have tried to not drag out the beginning development process. As a result, I feel that it's a little rushed, but no matter, because we're getting to the good stuff, now! Thanks again for staying tuned in and I hope you enjoy!

------------------

"So, you know how much I missed you, _cara_," Ezio began as he led Ambra out of their hiding place. He was reluctant to do so, but his past few days in Florence had made him wary of staying in one place for too long. Any place, including Monteriggioni. He knew that he was going to have to eventually tell her that his stay in the town was going to be even shorter than his trip to Florence, but for now he shoved that to the back of his mind. That was a conversation for a different time. "How much did _you_ miss _me_."

"Oh, you know," Ambra began casually. "I was just so busy here that I didn't really have any time to think about you." Ezio laughed heartily at this. He knew she was joking. After all, she had asked to come with him. "I see there is no fooling you."

"No, there is not," Ezio stated as they stopped walking and he pulled her into him, not caring who saw. He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he gazed down at her. "Now, tell me how much you missed me, or there will be consequences." Ambra was just about to tell Ezio that she thought of little besides him while he was gone, but she didn't get the chance, as they were interrupted.

"Well, well! Look who it is!" Ambra sighed as her shoulders slumped. By now she could recognize the voice that was coming behind her. Ezio did not raise his head, only his eyes, as he looked at Francesco over Ambra's shoulder. The look that he gave was so full of malice and contempt that it stopped Francesco dead in his tracks. His jaw was not yet fully healed, and he wouldn't put it past Ezio to start a fight in public. "I haven't seen you in a few days, I thought that you had left us."

"No, you have not been so lucky," Ezio assured him, not letting go of Ambra. It was obvious that seeing his hands on her caused Francesco some distress, and Ezio was all for anything that caused him distress. "I hope that you have been taking good care of Ambra in my absence." At this point, Ambra had still not turned around, and she hadn't really planned on doing so. She was very content to just stand there and let Ezio handle him. It was a nice break after the last few days.

"Oh, very good care," Francesco assured him. "In fact, I have been getting to know Ambra rather well." Ezio's eyes flashed to Ambra's face, and the look of disgust he found there was sufficient in explaining just _how_ well he had gotten to know Ambra. "And, of course, her family. Did you know," he began as he finally got the courage to walk closer to Ezio, "that her mother told me that I would make a wonderful addition to the family. Very sweet woman, Signora Conti."

Ezio, though he wanted nothing more than to make a response about Francesco had no chance with Ambra as he planned on never leaving her side, couldn't make that threat. At least not in good conscience. He thought it cruel to get Ambra's hopes up. After all, with what he had just been through in Florence, he knew that his work was far from done. There was no way that anything was possible at all with Ambra. The idea was agonizing, and he had thought about it the whole way home, but there was just no way at all.

But the thought of her falling into the hands of someone like Francesco was enough to make him feel a little ill.

"She is, I am sure," Ezio agreed. "What happened to your mouth?" This immediately wiped the smirk off of Francesco's face, which was Ezio's main goal. While Francesco was floundering for some kind of answer, Ezio once again grabbed Ambra by the wrist and moved quickly in the opposite direction. He had a feeling that if he stuck around too long, he was going to end up hitting Francesco again, and he didn't want Ambra to see that.

"Where are we going?" Ambra asked as she practically jogged to keep up with Ezio's long, graceful strides.

"Well, the look on your face made it quite clear that you want to be away from him," Ezio observed. "So I'm taking care of that for you. If he knows what's good for him, he won't follow."

"No, he will probably just make up some story about how-"

"Then we will go to your house," Ezio suggested. "Where there are witnesses. You won't be in trouble."

"I don't _want_ to go home," Ambra said stubbornly as she yanked her hand out of Ezio's grasp and stood there with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Ezio sighed and opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "I don't care what stories he makes up. He's already done his damage, anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" Ezio asked.

"Just don't be surprised if my last name changes to De Luca sometime soon," Ambra answered. Once more, Ezio sighed. She was extremely dramatic. The only reason he didn't tell her so was because beneath all of her bravado, there was fear. He could be fine with perhaps any other emotion from her, but if she was afraid, he couldn't help but want to fix her problem.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the type of problem he could fix. He wanted to – god knew that he wanted to – but he was no better for her than Francesco, and he knew that. His father had been able to lead a double life, pretend that he was a banker and allow his family to think that there was nothing out of the ordinary, but Ezio couldn't do that. There was no going back from what he had done; people now knew who he was. Being connected with someone was now more of a vulnerability than anything. He was having a hard enough time worrying about his mother and sister. He was going to be away from them for so long, he knew that his anxiety about their safety was going to be difficult to deal with. Adding another person to that would not help matters.

"Do you think that your father would allow that to happen?" Ezio asked her, unable to come up with anything better to say.

"On his own, he wouldn't," Ambra answered, "but my mother will convince him. He's … deeply uxorious."

"What if you spoke to him?" Ezio asked.

"It would have _some _importance if I told him that I didn't want to marry Francesco," she answered, "but not enough. There's really only one way to stop it."

"And what's that?"

"Someone else has to make an offer before he does," Ambra replied. Ezio knew where she was going with that, and he wished that she hadn't. There was an awkward silence where Ambra waited for Ezio to say something, but it was clear that he had nothing to reply, so she broke it. "But I guess that person won't be you."

"Ambra-" Ezio began as he reached for her once more, but she backed away from him, clearly upset.

"No, Ezio, I don't want to hear it," she told him as she put her hands in the air and started walking away from him. "You come here, sweep me off my feet, kiss me in alleyways, punch people in the face for me, and then think that I won't have expectations. Maybe you are not as smart as I thought you were." She couldn't help it, when she felt wounded, she got defensive, and insults were the only thing she could use to mask how hurt she really was. She knew that it was all rather fast, and that in reality she shouldn't have expected _anything_ from Ezio. But she was young, and unfamiliar with the ways of love.

"You're right," Ezio agreed, "I have not behaved as I should have, and for that I apologize." He grabbed for her again, and this time he succeeded. Catching her by the arm, he pulled her close to him. "But I couldn't help it."

"Spare me," Ambra pleaded as she pushed away from him, dislodging her arm from his grasp, and storming in the other direction. She wanted to be as far away from him as possible so that when she started to cry, he wouldn't be able to see her face. She still had her pride.

Ezio stood in the center of the busy piazza, wondering if he should follow her or not. She was obviously upset and didn't want to talk to him, but he couldn't leave it like this. There was no way they could be together. In his head, he knew that. But, since he had acted like a complete idiot and actually allowed her to fall in love with him, he knew that the task of softening this blow fell on his shoulders. That is why he decided that he would follow her, but at a safe distance, keeping her under his watchful eyes.

)0()0()0()0()0(

"Francesco, come in," Agostino Conti greeted the young man who was standing at the door of his study. He was carrying a bottle of wine, so the subject of the conversation that was about to ensue was quite easy to guess. "Please, sit."

"_Grazie, Signore,_" said Francesco as he sat in a chair across from Signor Conti's large mahogany desk. The man had obviously been engaged in some business matter, for there were papers strewn all across the wide surface. Francesco cursed himself for his timing. Everything was going to have to be perfect if he was going to get what he wanted, and so far he was not doing well.

"And what brings you here this afternoon?" Agostino asked. "I'm afraid that Ambra is not here. She stepped out for a little.

"I am not here to see Ambra," Francesco informed him calmly, looking the man straight in the eye. "Though I am here _about_ Ambra."

"I figured that you would be," Agostino sighed, thinking that he might as well get straight to the point. "You want to marry my daughter."

"In a word – yes," Francesco answered. He saw Signor Conti open his mouth to speak, and quickly continued. "Now, I know that it would appear that Ambra is not too happy with this idea, but I promise you, I would provide her with everything she needs. A good home, a loving family, children … money." He saved the best for last. If there was one thing Francesco had it was money. "She would want for nothing."

"I am sure that is true," Agostino answered, "but you know how I feel about my daughters." He glanced at the portrait of his four daughters that was placed high on the wall right across from his desk. Ambra's oldest sister, Gioia, stood at the back behind Ambra, with her hands on the shoulders of Patrizia and Allegra. Each of his girls looks so similar and yet so different. Ambra was the only one with such vibrant hair, the rest had a slightly less golden brown. She also had the most freckles. But each of them had the exact same olive green eyes, and the same soft smirk. "I could never force a single one of them into something they didn't want."

Francesco had been expecting this answer, and was fully prepared to deal with it.

"Perhaps Ambra doesn't want it, yet," he began, "but she is young, she doesn't know what she wants. She has all of these fantasies in her head that will never come true, and in the end she is just going to end up disappointed. She may not love me, but there are many marriages that have started with _far_ less than that."

Agostino looked like he was sympathetic to Francesco's assertions, but showed no signs that he was going to give in.

"If you were the only man vying for her attention, it might be a different story," said Agostino, "but she is quite smitten with this young _Signor Auditore._" Francesco had to fight to keep the scowl off of his face.

"I'm aware," Francesco answered, "which I think is another very good reason why she should marry me. We know nothing of this man. He came here from _Firenze_, out of the blue for no apparent reason, and then immediately starts showing interest in your daughter. Don't you wonder about his family? His reputation? We know nothing about him. _Signor Conti, _you have known me since I was a boy! You were friends with my father."

"Yes, your father was a good man," Signor Conti agreed.

"And what do you know about Ezio Auditore?" Francesco inquired.

"I know that my daughter likes him," Agostino answered.

"This means nothing!" Francesco exclaimed, and then remembered that he needed to control himself. "I apologize. Ambra is only sixteen. She may think that she feels something for him, but her judgment can't be trusted. Have you even seen him around for the past few days?"

"No, but-"

"_Precise_! He disappeared for almost four days! God knows what he was doing! Would you subject your daughter to someone who just leaves at will with no explanation?"

"I'm sure that there was a good reason for it," said Agostino, sounding like he was becoming bored with this conversation. Francesco knew that he was losing him, so he did something he was hoping he wouldn't have to.

"All right, so perhaps Ambra doesn't like me right now," Francesco conceded, "and that's fine. She is young, she does not know her own mind. Your wife thinks that I am a very suitable match for Ambra."

"I am fully aware of what my wife thinks," Agostino stated. "But, contrary to popular belief, she does _not _run this household. I do. The fact that I spoil my wife does not mean that I would throw away my daughter's happiness for hers."

And just like that, all of Francesco's arguments had been forgotten. It took every ounce of his strength to keep from standing up and screaming at the old man. He was being ridiculous. He only _thought_ that he was acting in his daughter's best interests. All he was doing was holding her back from a wonderful, happy, wealthy marriage. At least as far as Francesco was concerned.

But, he kept himself under control, and did not say any of these things.

"_Va bene_," he murmured as he stood up. Agostino stood as well. "I cannot pretend that I am not deeply upset. It would have made me extremely happy to have your daughter as my wife. But, thank you for your time."

"You are welcome," said Signor Conti. "I am sorry that we are ending it like this, but Ambra's best interests are my only concern."

"I understand," Francesco stated, "I can only hope that I can be as good a father as you." He held up the bottle of wine that he had brought with him. It was his back up plan. "I was hoping that we would be drinking this in celebration. As it is, I suppose I will leave it as a token of my appreciation."

"_Grazie_," Agostino said as he accepted the bottle of wine. "I am glad to see that there are no hard feelings."

"None at all," Francesco assured him with a forced smile as he turned on his heel. "I will see myself out." This may have sounded bitter, but the only reason he turned so quickly was that he did not want Signor Conti to see the malicious grin that was spreading across his face.

Francesco De Luca was not to be denied, and this was far from over.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

Ezio was quite positive that Ambra did not know that he was following her, but just in case, he continued to keep his distance as she walked through the winding ways of the town, past dilapidated houses and neglected store fronts. This part of the town was in far more disrepair than the rest, and it didn't seem like the type of place where she should be walking alone. He was tempted to walk with her, but knew that now wasn't the time.

Finally she reached the walls of the city and could go no further, so she started walking along it. He was quite sure that she wouldn't actually venture beyond the city walls, but just in case, he closed the distance between them.

So quickly had Ambra been moving, that when she stopped, leaned against the wall, and slid to the ground, he was taken by surprise. She buried her head in her arms, and her shoulders started shaking so violently that he could see the movements clearly even from his position.

This he couldn't allow. He could keep his distance if she seemed to be all right, but he wouldn't stand by and watch her cry, especially if he was the reason. Slowly he approached her, but didn't speak until he was standing right in front of her.

"_Non piangere, cara,_" Ezio murmured as he crouched in front of her and put his hand beneath her chin, lifting her face so that she had to look at him, which was perhaps not a good idea.

She looked so beautiful, with those big, baleful eyes staring at up at him, tears delicately tracking down her face, racing to drip off of her chin and onto his fingers, reminders of the pain he had caused her. Without warning, he planted a kiss on her lips, and tasted the salt of her misery.

This did not succeed in stopping her tears. In fact, it seemed to make them worse.

"_Ma vá!" _she exclaimed as he slapped his hand away from her face. "I don't want to see you right now. And I _definitely_ don't want to kiss you."

"But I want to kiss _you,_" Ezio informed her.

"Of course, it's all about what you want," Ambra told him. "Pay no mind for _my_ feelings. I'm nothing but a silly little girl."

"You're not silly," Ezio told her. He took her face in his hand again, forcing her to look at him. "You're reacting the way I expected you to. But don't think that my sorrow does not equal yours."

"Your sorrow," Ambra scoffed. "That's funny, Ezio."

"I am serious," he told her. "Look, there is a part of me that would like nothing more than to marry you, take you away somewhere safe, and make you have my children. As it is, there are _…things_ that I need to take care of, things that would make it extremely dangerous for you to be associated with me."

"So you're saying this is for my own good?" Ambra asked.

"Yes," Ezio responded, "if I was being selfish, I would marry you and take you with me … but … my lifestyle … is not conducive to having a family. My father tried it, and all that is left now is heartbreak and despair. I couldn't do that to you."

"What happened to your father?' Ambra asked.

"He was killed," Ezio answered. "Executed unjustly because of … the things in which he was involved, things in which _I_ am about to become involved."

"What was he involved in?" Ambra asked. She could tell by the look on his face that Ezio did not want to answer the question. "You owe me this, Ezio. You owe me an explanation."

"There is too much to explain to you right now," he told her.

"I have plenty of time," Ambra assured him, though this wasn't necessarily true. She needed to get back for her lessons. However, she deemed this more important. Ezio sighed as he sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. Against his better judgment, he decided that he would tell her. He couldn't bear to see her crying, and he hoped that by giving her this, he might soothe her.

He hoped that he might soothe himself.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"Papa!" Allegra exclaimed as she walked through the front door of their house. It was almost time for their lessons, but she wanted to show her father a small stone that she had bought in the marketplace. She thought that it might make a good decoration for his study, and she also knew that her father loved it when his daughters brought him gifts.

There was no answer, so Allegra figured that her father was busy in his study. This wasn't surprising; he always worked so hard during the day.

She moved quickly down the hallway, knowing that if she was late for her lesson, she would not only get a beating from her teacher, but from her father as well. Without stopping to knock, she pushed open the door to his study. Upon entering, she dropped the small, green stone. It made a dull thud that was obscured by her scream as it hit the floor.

"Papa!" she cried as she hastened to her father's prostrate form, but she knew that she was too late. His skin was pale and cold, his eyes locked in an infinite stare. At first, Allegra thought that the stains on his shirt were blood, but upon closer inspection, she could see that they were wine. Of course, at the moment she didn't care where they came from. She was far too distraught to notice the overturned glass that was only inches away from his ice cold fingers, or the small, last sip of dark red liquid that remained.


	6. Dolore ed Inganno

"_A Firenze_," Ezio began as he sat down next to Ambra took her hand in his. "I was not so much conducting business as … carrying out a mission." He was having a hard time wording this carefully. Under no circumstances did Ezio want to come right out tell Ambra that there was blood on the hands that were now holding hers. "The circumstances under which my father was murdered … he was betrayed."

"By whom?" Ambra asked.

"The details are not necessary at this point," Ezio answered. Not to mention, he didn't exactly have many of them himself. "I went back home to … exact justice."

"You killed someone," Ambra blurted so frankly that Ezio was a little surprised.

"Yes …" he answered slowly. "Two members of the same family. De Pazzi was their name. Templars. Do you know about the Knights Templar?"

"As in the cult that made their headquarters in the Temple of Solomon? In Jerusalem?" Ambra asked. Ezio smiled; she was a smart girl. He nodded. "Yes, I know about them. But they were disbanded, weren't they? Found and killed."

"Some of them were killed," Ezio answered. "The ones who escaped went underground, hiding their allegiance. Their treachery still occurs today, they just have to be more secretive about it. They're very good at keeping secrets, and hard to root out, but I've found my next target."

"Where are you going?" Ambra asked.

"Back to _Firenze_," he answered, "and from there, who knows? I don't know where my work will bring me, but I will go wherever I have to." He flexed the hand farthest from her and with a hiss, the blade hidden there jumped into visibility.

Ambra jumped when she heard the sound, but her eyes were transfixed on the blade at Ezio's wrist. She was fascinated and intrigued. Ezio had always been a little mysterious to her, but now that cloud had become even darker. She reached out and touched the flat surface of the blade.

"I have another here," said Ezio as he let go of her hand and held up his own so that she could see the bracer on his wrist. "My father's blade."

"I can't even imagine losing my father," she murmured as she brought her hand to the bracer and ran her fingers along the cool, smooth surface.

"One day you will have to," said Ezio, "I just hope that day does not come prematurely." He took the hand that lay on his blade and kissed her fingertips. "Do you understand why I have to leave now, _cara?_ Why I can't take you with me?"

"No, I don't understand," Ambra answered. "I don't mind the danger."

"Of course you don't," Ezio sighed, shaking his head. She wasn't making this easy for him. He was a little selfish by nature, and there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted her. It had taken all of his resolve to tell her that it wasn't possible, but if she was going to be so stubborn, it was going to be that much harder for him to not give in to his desires. "That is because you know nothing of it. You live a very sheltered life, Ambra."

"Maybe now is the time to change that," Ambra suggested. "Take me with you, maybe I can help."

"You're not a killer," Ezio assured her. "No, _cara_. You cannot come."

"All right, so I probably couldn't help you," Ambra agreed, "at least not with avenging your family, but certainly there are other things that I could do for you." She looked him right in the face. "I'm not afraid of death."

"Now _you_ are being selfish," Ezio told her. "I do not doubt that death is not a scary thing to you. You're too smart to fear it. But what about how I would feel if you were dead? What if I knew that I was the cause of it? Ambra, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Once again, you only consider your feelings on the matter," Ambra reminded him.

"_Dio Mio!"_ Ezio exclaimed. "You are so stubborn. This is what happens when children are spoiled."

"I'm sure that you know all about it," Ambra reminded him. Ezio scowled at her.

"Look," he said forcefully, "you're not coming with me. I refuse to bring you."

"This is all a cover. You don't really want me," Ambra told him. "If that's the case then you only have to say so. I'm a big girl, I can handle having my feelings hurt."

"Would you really believe me now if I told you that I didn't want you?" Ezio asked her.

"Of course I would," Ambra told him. "You're acting like it."

"Would it honestly make you feel better if I said so?" Ezio asked. If he had to, he would lie to her. Ambra thought about it for a moment. Would it really make it easier to bear his absence if he told her that he did not love her?

"No," Ambra answered. "It wouldn't make things any easier for me."

"Then I won't lie," Ezio told her. "Please, Ambra, you have to believe me when I say that I wish you could come with me. But it's not safe, and if anything ever happened to you because of me, I don't know what I would do with myself."

"I understand why I can't come," Ambra said after a few moments of silence. "At least why _you_ say I can't come. But that doesn't mean I like it."

"You don't have to like it," said Ezio as he stood up and held out his hand to her. She hesitantly took it, a little wary of touching him now that she knew what lay concealed by his sleeves. "I don't like it, either. Come, let's take you home."

"When are you leaving?" Ambra asked, as she had a suspicion that he was taking her home so that he could leave again.

"Soon," he answered. "Probably tomorrow morning."

"Do you think that you are coming back?" she asked.

"Not until this is done," Ezio responded. "My mother and sister will be remaining here, so I _might_ be obliged to check in now and again, but that would take a lot of time, and I will probably only come back in the case of an emergency." Ambra opened her mouth to speak, but Ezio anticipated her request. "And if I return to Monteriggioni, you will be the first person I see. That is … if I can."

"If you're implying that a husband might you from seeing me," Ambra responded, "I will do my best to make sure that doesn't happen. I might be able to make my father-"

"I don't want you to spend your life alone because of me," Ezio told her.

"I'd rather spend it alone than with anyone else," Ambra told him.

"Don't speak like that," Ezio ordered. He was good enough at manipulating people to know when someone was trying to manipulate _him_. Ambra may have said that she understood that she couldn't come with him, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying to convince him that it wasn't such a bad idea. It wasn't going to work. "Come on, let's go." Ambra finally took Ezio's hand and allowed him to pull her into a standing position. She spent a few moments dusting off her skirt before the two of them started walking.

"It would have been better if you had never come here," she told him. Ezio grimaced. That stung a little bit, but only because sometimes the truth does hurt.

"Maybe," Ezio agreed. "But I don't regret meeting you."

"Not yet, you don't," Ambra answered, aware that was probably being childish, but she couldn't help it. She was in pain, but she wasn't allowed to show it, for Ezio's sake. If what he said was true, then he wasn't leaving her by choice, but out of necessity. He was being strong, and she had to do the same for him.

"I won't," Ezio told her as he stopped walking and made her look at him. "Ambra, if I didn't care so much about you, I would take you."

"Of course," Ambra answered. "It's for my own good. If you say so, Ezio. But, if you ask me, I think you're scared."

"Of what?" Ezio demanded.

"Well, don't ask me," Ambra replied. "I am not inside your head. I can't tell you what you're thinking."

"I am afraid of nothing," Ezio said forcefully. Ambra raised an eyebrow and started walking again. Ezio stood there for a moment and watched her. He had to remind himself to stay strong; he knew what she was doing. Admittedly, she was very good at it. She had a knack for manipulation that was common to her sex. But Ezio was just as smart as she was, and probably far more stubborn.

He jogged to catch up with her. "If there is anything I am afraid of, it is of allowing any harm to come to you."

"I'm starting to get sick of this, Ezio," she told him. "You're boring me, now."

"Would you stop being such a _child?_" Ezio scoffed. Ambra just laughed at him. If she was trying to make him angry, she was doing a very good job of it.

Ambra was about to reply something about how Ezio would know all about being childish when they turned onto her street, and the first thing she saw was a crowd gathered outside of her house.

"What is going on?" she asked no one in particular. She heard a familiar sharp hiss and looked down at Ezio's hands, seeing two small blades there as she did so. He then placed his body in front of hers as they continued to walk forward, shielding her from view.

However, Ambra was not about to allow herself to be impeded. She pushed past Ezio and hastened towards the front door of her house. When people saw her approaching, they immediately looked down.

"What has happened?" she asked, doing her best to keep the panic out of her voice, but still failing. No one answered her, so she pushed through the door, Ezio close behind her.

The first thing Ambra realized as she walked into her house was that she could hear sobs. Loud ones. They were coming from all directions. She passed by servants dabbing their eyes and knew that something was horribly wrong. She ran up the stairs.

"Mama!" She called. "Mama! Where are you?"

But it was not her mother who greeted her, it was Patrizia. Her youngest sister walked out of her room, eyes red, cheeks glistening. So violent were her sobs that she couldn't even speak when Ambra grabbed her by her shoulders and demanded to know what the problem was.

So she only pointed back down the stairs.

Ambra looked at her sister for a moment, but realized that she wasn't going to get anywhere by questioning her. The poor thing was too distraught to speak, so she turned around and headed back towards the stairs, barely noticing Ezio as she brushed by him roughly. He quickly turned around so that he could follow her.

Once she was on the main floor of her house, Ambra didn't exactly know where to go, so she listened, trying to discern where the people were. But there was too much chaos. The voices of the people outside were obscuring her senses, making it difficult to figure out where she needed to go. She picked a direction and walked, reaching a hallway.

Turning her head to look down the corridor, she saw that the door to her father's study was open. This was strange, as that door was to always remain closed, no matter what.

Something was wrong there.

Quickening her pace, Ambra walked towards the door, but before she could push through it, Ezio stopped her and walked in first. Under normal circumstances, Ambra would have been annoyed, but at the moment there was no room for any emotion besides curious dread.

As she tried to enter the room, Ezio made an attempt to stop her, having witnessed the scene on the other side of the door, wanting to spare Ambra from the shock he knew that she was about to receive.

"What? What is it?" Ambra demanded, not even bothering to try and stay calm anymore. Ezio could think of nothing that would stop her from seeing besides forcibly removing her from the situation, but she didn't even give him the chance to take hold of her. Instead, she slipped beneath the arm that was blocking her way, and entered her father's study.

The first thing she realized was that her mother was collapsed on one of the couches, completely dissolved in tears, muttering intelligibly. Then, she saw the source of all the chaos.

The body was still there, obviously he had been discovered recently and no one had come to remove it, yet. Allegra was crouched over it, her hands gripping the crisp white linen of her father's shirt, her tears dripping onto her hands, and onto the fabric, mixing with the wine stains.

It was as if Ambra had lost all of her senses besides her sense of sight. The whole room went quiet, and she could no longer hear the overwhelming sobs, or the muttering of her mother, or anything besides a hollow, empty wind screaming past her ears. But, all of the physical aspects of the room suddenly became more

She was vaguely aware of the broken glass on the floor as she kneeled to next to her father's dead body. Absently, she realized that when he fell, he had knocked over an open bottle of wine that had been on his desk, and the dark red liquid was everywhere, almost as if to replace blood, of which there was none. It marked the scene as one of death.

Ezio watched as Ambra put her hand over her father's eyes and closed his eyelids. She was oddly calm for someone who had just come upon her father's dead body. Completely still for a few moments, it looked like she was saying a prayer. This suspicion was confirmed, at least in his mind, when she leaned over and placed her lips on his forehead.

She stayed in that position for a few seconds, and then suddenly the wall that was holding in all of her emotions crumbled and tears started flowing onto her father's face. The sound that came out of her mouth next was enough to make Ezio cringe. It was a mix between a howl, a sob, and a cry. It caught in her throat and seemed to be causing her difficulties in breathing. Without thinking, Ezio grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her off the body, turning her so that her face was buried in his chest and she could no longer see the carnage. This was difficult, as she was apparently unable to support herself. He had to hold her up as well as shield her face.

Instead of standing, Ezio let her fold to the ground and went with her, still clutching onto her.

He wasn't sure about what he was supposed to say to her, so he placed his hand on the back of her head and just held her. There was nothing else he could do.

)0()0()0()0()0(

Ezio was standing in Ambra's bedroom. Under normal circumstances, decorum would not allow this to be so, but the Conti household was still in chaos, and no one would even know he was there as long as he kept the door closed and locked.

The two of them had sat on the floor for at least a half hour, Ambra crying and Ezio anchoring her to the world. After that amount of time, people had come from to remove the body and prepare it for the funeral, knowing that the deceased's wife and daughters would not be able to take care of that at present.

Once the room had been emptied, Ambra finally spoke.

"Someone needs to tell Gioia."

"Does she live close?" he had asked.

"It's about a half a day's ride," Ambra had answered between hiccups. "I need to write to her." She stood up shakily, her body was exhausted from the sheer effort crying took from her. Quickly, Ezio stood and put his hand at the small of her back to make sure that she did not fall. "I need to tell my grandparents … his siblings. God it would be so much easier if everyone just lived here."

"Maybe you should let-"

"Do you honestly think anyone else is going to do it?" she'd asked as she gestured towards her mother and sister, who had not moved from their positions since Ezio entered the room. "No, it is going to have to be me that does it." She told him as she exited the study, Ezio close behind her.

"That's not fair," Ezio had told her. "You've just lost someone, too. Your first duty shouldn't be to tell your sister or the rest of your family. That should be your mother's job."

"My mother is obviously in no state to do it," Ambra had informed him. "You realize the type of woman my mother is, don't you? She is nothing without her husband. Her life might as well be over, now. My younger sisters may as well have just lost _both_ of their parents, because that is what has happened. No, it has to be me."

And so they had made their way up to Ambra's bedroom. Ezio had followed her in and locked the door behind them. So she was going to be writing letters, he could at least make sure that she had time alone to do it.

"What are you saying to them?" he asked her as he watched her working by candlelight once the sun had gone down. He had been watching her write, and noticed that she had a very exact way of crafting every single word. She was such a perfectionist. A little like himself, though her flair for the dramatic was a little less obvious than his was.

"I have opened with stating that I have some most distressing news, and that we are all quite in shock here. Then I go on to say that I regret to inform them that my father has passed suddenly for reasons that are unknown to all of us here, but we hope to find out soon. Funeral arrangements will be made, but we implore that everyone come as soon as they are able to help us through this trying time. I'm afraid that it's a very short letter."

"It gets the point across," Ezio stated. "It's more than enough." He crossed the room and put his hand on her shoulder. "How many more do you have to write?"

"Three," she answered as she rubbed her hand across her eyes. Her face was turned down towards her desk, but Ezio could see the tears dripping onto the parchment, which she quickly moved out of harm's way.

"You can write them later," Ezio said authoritatively as he physically picked her up from her chair and carried her over to her bed. "Right now you are not in a state to do this. You need to lie down." Ambra opened her mouth to protest, but Ezio stopped her. "You can finish your letters tomorrow. Even if you finished them now, you wouldn't send them until tomorrow, anyway."

She could not argue with his logic, and it felt good to put her head on her pillow. Once she was lying down, she stared up at the ceiling. She was vaguely aware of Ezio's form on the other side of the room, sounds coming from him. They were metallic in nature. She didn't realize until she felt his weight shifting his bed that he had been removing all of his weaponry and extra clothing. Now he was in nothing but his shirt, breeches, and stockings.

Still unsure of what to say, Ezio did not speak to her, did not even touch her. He put both of his hands behind his head to make sure that he didn't give in to temptation. He had been through this, and it had been such a short time ago that the loss of Ambra's father made him recall losing his own so vividly.

At least she had not had to watch him die.

"I'm waiting to wake up," she told him suddenly as she continued to stare at the ceiling. "This doesn't feel real."

"Maybe it's not," he answered. "Perhaps in a few moments you'll realize that this has all been a bad dream."

"All of it," Ambra continued. "Maybe in a few moments I'll wake up and realize that none of this is real. Not you, not Francesco, not my father … none of it. Maybe I'll wake up and it will be morning and I'll be lying in my bed, never having known you. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll forget this dream."

"That _would_ make everything a lot easier," Ezio agreed, nodding. "But I don't think that we're dreaming, Ambra." He turned to look at her, but could only see some of her face in profile, as her hair obscured his view. "And even so … I think I would miss you."

"Not if you're not real." Ezio chuckled in spit of himself.

"Well, one thing I know for sure is that I am real," Ezio assured her. Finally, Ambra turned to face him. She lay on her side, with her head resting on her bent arm. Ezio turned to face her as well and reached out to touch her cheek, which was still moist from the tears she had shed. Ezio smirked as he remembered that nothing is real, and everything is permitted.

Following that train of thought, he leaned forward and kissed Ambra gently. Once again, he tasted tears, but this time they were not of his doing.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said to him as she pressed her forehead against his, eyes closed. Wishing that he had some real words of wisdom to offer her, Ezio decided that it was necessary to make some up.

"You're going to carry on," Ezio told her. "For those who need you."

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

Ambra was awakened by the morning sunlight shining on her face. She had not closed her curtains before going to sleep last night, and was almost blinded now because of that. When she moved to get up, she was surprised by and arm draped over her waist. Turning her head, she saw that Ezio was behind her, still asleep.

Smiling, she decided that she would leave the curtains open. She could see him better that way. As she settled back down to try and fall back asleep, she suddenly remembered why Ezio was there in the first place, and all of the emotions she had felt last night came flooding back to her, only this time they were much worse. The shock that had helped her remain numb was gone now, and there was nothing she could do but really feel the grief washing over her.

One thing she didn't want to do was start crying, but it seemed that there was no way to get around it. The tears came on their own accord.

The movement and the sound startled Ezio out of his light slumber. There was a brief moment of disorientation before he remembered where he was and why he was there.

"Should I leave?" he asked her. She wordlessly shook her head and grabbed onto his hand. Ezio sighed. So much for leaving this morning. He wanted very much to be gone by dawn, but he couldn't just abandon her like that. He realized that he was doing enough by leaving period, he could at least do her the courtesy of helping her now.

He was quite prepared to stay in the bed with her all day, so he was a little surprised when she finally heaved herself from the bed and walked over to the looking glass that was hanging on her wall. She knew that she had to change her clothes. No matter how distraught she was, she couldn't allow herself to fall into a disheveled state. She was too proud for that, and she wanted to at least appear strong. So, she sent Ezio from her chambers so that she could get ready, assuming that he would be gone by the time she was done.

However, when she descended the stairs, Ezio was the first person she saw. He had dressed himself as well.

"Your mother is still in the study," Ezio informed her.

"I knew that she would be," Ambra answered. While she was upstairs, she had finished her letters and now held them in her hand. "I need to send these. Will you accompany me?"

"Of course," Ezio informed her. "I will take them for you, if you like."

"No, that's all right," Ambra assured him. "I need to get out of the house." Ezio nodded and offered her his arm. They headed for the door, and as Ezio pulled it open to allow Ambra to exit, Francesco was just about to knock. He flinched in surprise, and then his expression darkened when he saw Ezio.

However, he said nothing to him, and instead looked at Ambra.

"Ambra," he greeted solemnly, _"Mi dispiace per tuo padre."_

"_Grazie,"_ she answered. "I'm sorry but Ezio and I were just about to step out. I need to mail these letters and let the rest of my family know what has happened." Francesco exercised great self-control in keeping the scowl from his face.

"If you like, I can take those for you," Francesco told her as he reached for the letters. "You shouldn't have to do that." Ambra couldn't help but display her shock on her face. Francesco had never offered to do anything nice for her. Granted, she had just lost her father and it was expected that _everyone_ was nice to her, but to her, Francesco had always been just a rude, inconsiderate boy.

"That would be lovely, Francesco. _Grazie mille._"

"Of course. You're welcome," he told her as he took the letters from her, allowing his hand to linger on hers for a little longer than necessary. "And if there is _anything_ else that you need, anything at all, please let me know. I'm eager to help you in your time of need." He leaned over and kissed both of her cheeks before walking away, turning quickly to hide his grin.

She suspected nothing. She was as good as his.


	7. Vá con Dio

"So you let _him_ deliver your letters and not me?" Ezio asked of Ambra as she shut the door behind Francesco. He was standing there with his arms crossed in front of his chest, one eyebrow raised, looking down his nose at her. Ambra couldn't be sure if this was a serious inquiry, but she wasn't in the mood for being playful.

"The only reason I wanted to go with you to do it is because I don't want to be alone right now," Ambra informed him. Immediately his expression softened and he walked towards her with his arms open. Ambra allowed him to embrace her, and immediately felt some relief. "Does this mean you are going to stay for a little bit longer?"

"A little," Ezio assured her. "I will at least see you through the funeral, _cara_."

"Thank you," Ambra whispered. The two of them stood there in silence for quite a while, forgetting where they were, not worried about time. For now, they had a lot of it, and Ambra, for one, definitely wasn't going to waste it thinking about a time when they would be apart. Even though she know that he wasn't going to be hers forever, she had him now, and that was going to have to be enough.

The two of them were interrupted by footsteps. Ezio was the first to hear them, and turned quickly, relaxing when he saw that it was Anna.

"_Signora Conti_," he greeted formally. "I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am for your loss." But she seemed to not even realize that he was speaking. She blankly stared right through him when she spoke.

"Where are my daughters?" she whimpered. "My children? Where are they."

"I'm right here, Mama," Ambra assured her as she let go of Ezio and walked over to her mother, taking one of her hands in both of hers. "I'm right here."

"What is to become of us, _figlia_?" she asked. "Who is going to take care of us, now?"

"We will be fine, Mama," Ambra tried to be comforting, even though she wasn't even sure what was going to become of them. Surely, all of her father's belongings and money would pass to his family, but those were only material things. He had been the rock of the family for so long, keeping things running smoothly, that she wasn't really sure if she was going to be able to fill his shoes.

"_You_ will be fine," her mother told her bitterly. "_You_ are young, you have your whole life ahead of you." She gestured towards Ezio. "Boys falling all over you. But what about me, Ambra? What about your mother?" Ambra didn't have a response. She was torn between a few different emotions. Anger at her mother's selfishness, despair at how hopeless the situation seemed, and uncertainty about how they were going to get through this. Instead of answering her mother, she looked back at Ezio, who had a rather dark expression on his face.

But he wasn't having a hard time picking an emotion. He was livid.

That was her _mother_ speaking to her like that after she had just lost her father, after she had just spent the night alternating between sobbing and tossing and turning restlessly. However, his upbringing would not allow him to say anything to the woman. Instead, he stood there in silence glaring at her.

"Come, Mama," Ambra said as she took her mother by the arm and started leading her towards the stairs. "Let's get you to bed."

"No!" Anna exclaimed. "Why do you think I would want to go there?"

"_My_ bed," Ambra amended. "You need to rest." She looked at Ezio and told him that she would be right back down, and led her mother carefully up the stairs. It didn't take her long to get her situated and she immediately returned to Ezio, who was standing exactly where she had left him.

"It took a lot of strength to keep my mouth closed," he informed her.

"She's grieving," Ambra told him. "She doesn't mean a word."

"I doubt that," Ezio muttered darkly.

"You don't know anything about my mother," Ambra hissed sharply at him as she closed the distance between them so that they were face to face, even though Ezio was about a full head taller than she was. "You will _not_ speak ill of her in my presence."

Ezio, eyes wide in surprise, immediately backed off and apologized. _"Mi dispiace, Dolcezza."_ He stroked her cheek as he said this, trying to calm her down. "It's just … I don't like seeing you mistreated." Ambra closed her eyes and allowed herself to revel in his touch.

"It's all right," she assured him. Without another word, she turned and started heading down the hall to her father's study. Ezio didn't think this was the greatest idea, but he was afraid to try and stop her from doing so. When he caught up with her, she was standing in the middle of the room, one arm resting across her middle, with the other elbow resting on top of that, her hand covering her mouth as she surveyed the damage.

"It's a mess in here," she stated. Really, there wasn't that much of a mess, it was just the area around Signor Conti's desk that was in a state of disarray. Ambra walked towards it and picked up the overturned wine bottle. She then saw the glass on the floor, bending over to pick that up as well.

"He had been drinking this when he died, I think," Ambra stated as she sniffed at the bottle. It smelled perfectly all right, but there was nothing left of the wine, most of it having been spilled onto the floor. Luckily the carpets in the room were dark. Perhaps they could be saved. At least the one that only had wine spilled on it. The one _behind_ her father's desk was covered in vomit, and would have to be disposed of immediately.

Absently, she dipped her finger into the small amount of wine that was still in the bottom of the glass and put it in her mouth to taste it.

Instantly, her entire mouth went numb. Seeing the look on her face, Ezio asked her what was wrong.

"This is strong," Ambra stated, having to force her mouth to work a little harder than normally to formulate the simple words, and even then they came out strangely.

"Let me taste it," Ezio ordered as he took the glass from her hand and did the same thing she had done. He, too, felt the instant numbness of the mouth. But he knew better than to think that it was just strong. Even the most potent of wines didn't have the ability to turn one's whole mouth numb.

But, Ezio kept his thoughts to himself. If one little taste was enough to turn his mouth numb, he didn't want to think about the effects of taking an entire sip. Or many sips, for that mater. Ambra had been through enough; he didn't want to tell her that it was possible that her father had been poisoned.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

Francesco had been waiting outside all day for Auditore to leave the Conti house. In hiding, he hardly took his eye off the door, for he didn't want to miss his chance. He anticipated that if Ezio left, Ambra would leave with him, but that wouldn't be such an unfortunate development, he thought.

So he waited, and waited, and waited. Finally at about three in the afternoon, the door opened and out stepped Ezio Auditore, with Ambra hanging all over him.

"Not for long, my friend," he murmured under his breath as he watched the two of them walk away. He waited until they were a safe distance away, and then he approached the house. When he reached the door, he straightened out all of his clothes before he knocked, wanting to look presentable.

One of the maids opened the door and Francesco gave her his largest smile.

"_Buon giorno,"_ he greeted brightly. "I was wondering if I could speak to your mistress."

"She's not really feeling well at the moment," the maid answered, but Francesco did not waver.

"That is to be expected," he agreed, "but I think that what I have to say might make her feel a little better. I request only a few minutes, and you may stay in there with me! If you think that she cannot handle it, you have my full permission to forcibly remove me from the room." The maid looked dubious, but not many women were immune to Francesco's charms, and soon he was allowed to enter the house and ascend the stairs.

He was led to Ambra's room, where the door was opened for him and he was allowed to enter, with his escort, of course.

When she heard the door open, Anna stirred and looked towards the door. When she saw who it was, her eyes opened wide in surprise, but Francesco was quick to cut her off before she could speak.

"Please, _Signora_, stay where you are," he pleaded as he put his hands out. "I only wish to speak with you for a few minutes. I'm hoping that I might be able to offer you some comfort in this painful time."

"I doubt it, Francesco, but please speak," Anna said as she relaxed against the headboard. "What is it that you want to say?"

"I realize," he began, "that along with being extremely upset and full of grief, that you and your daughters might be a little scared. Why, with no man to run things, your estate could be taken from you, leaving you and your daughters homeless."

"You think I have not thought of this, Francesco?" Anna asked sharply.

"I'm sure that you have," Francesco assured her, "and I know that it must only be adding to your stress at this time. That is why I have come to you with a proposition." He waited for a sign that he should continue, but got nothing more than an expectant look from Anna Conti. "Right. Well, I'm sure you have realized that I am very interested in Ambra."

"You're not the only one," Anna answered.

"I am aware," Francesco assured her. "It is not surprising. Your daughter is very beautiful. Has anyone else made you an offer for her hand?"

"No, they haven't," Anna answered.

"Ah! Good," Francesco said, obviously pleased, even though he already knew the answer to that question. He was quite the actor. "Allow me to be the first to have the honor, then."

In reality, Anna wasn't that surprised, but this was the type of occasion where she couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto her face.

"Now, I know that right now might not be the best time for asking, but consider these points," Francesco began frantically. "Gioia lives far away on her husband's farm. It is most likely that she will not be able to come here and have him help take care of things, and I know that you and your daughters do not want to leave Monteriggioni."

"We don't," Anna assured him.

"If you allow me to marry Ambra," Francesco began, "I will _make sure_ that you and your daughters are provided for. What's more, I will personally make sure that each of them is advantageously married. I have many friends and know many people. It would not be difficult for me to arrange something."

This caused Anna to perk up even more. Her greatest fear was that, with no one to take care of them, she and her daughters would end up on the streets. But apparently God had sent her a savior! All of her fears had been for naught.

"You would do that for us?" she asked. "You would take care of us?"

"I would even make sure that you were able to stay in this house," he answered. "If I married Ambra, it would be extremely easy for me to manage all of her father's accounts and investments. You all would maintain the same lifestyle that you have become used to."

"Francesco," Anna said as she sat up, "I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a help that would be to us!"

"So I have your permission, then?" he asked, the grin on his face widening by the second.

"Of course you can marry my daughter!" she exclaimed as she got out of the bed and rushed over to hug him and kiss him on the cheeks. "It is the least I could do for you!" As he hugged his future mother-in-law, Francesco breathed a huge sigh of relief. This had been a very messy business, but he was glad that he had achieved the desired result.

At least he had not killed a man for nothing.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"Are you sure that you want to wait out here?" Ezio asked.

"If you need me to come in, I will," Ambra stated as she stared at the doors of the mortuary. Her father's body was inside, waiting to be prepared for a funeral. But, first the men needed to be paid. Ambra had secured the money and given it to Ezio so that he could complete the task so she wouldn't have to go inside.

"I can do it, _cara_," he told her as he kissed her on the forehead. "Wait right here. I'll be as quick as possible." Ambra nodded and Ezio turned around and pushed the door open, quite glad that Ambra was not going in with him. It would give him a chance to inspect the body.

He wished that Leonardo were there with him. Though Ezio knew a little about the more common poisons used, he was far from an expert. But Leonardo would probably be able to tell if he had been murdered or not just by looking at the man's face.

As he closed the door behind him, he automatically felt a shiver run down his spine. He wasn't sure if it was all in his head or if there really were spirits surrounding him, but he knew that he didn't like the feeling.

"Hello?" a voice called from the back room. Ezio guessed that he had heard the door close.

"Hello," Ezio answered, "I'm here to pay for funeral services."

"Ah, you must be here about _Signor_ Conti," said a rather short, toad-like man as he came from the back of the building. "Terrible shocked, I was bowled over when I heard."

"Yes, it was certainly unexpected," Ezio agreed.

"It always is, with one so young," answered the man, "I am Giacomo Passacaglia. And you are?"

"Ezio," he answered, purposely withholding his last name, just in case he wouldn't be allowed to see the body. "I was wondering … is it possible for me to …"

"See the body?" Giacomo asked. "Yes, yes you can. Don't be ashamed. It's not an odd request. Follow me." Ezio nodded and followed the small man to the back of the building. When they reached their destination, Ezio could see Ambra's father where he lay. He looked very peaceful, but that is common among dead people.

"I'll give you a moment," said Giacomo as he bowed out. "Just come back to the front when you are ready." Ezio nodded and waited for the man to leave, and then he quickly set to work. Normally, he didn't make a practice out of manhandling dead bodies, but he figured that right now there was a reason.

"_Perdonami, Signor Conti,"_ Ezio apologized as he pried open the dead man's mouth. It was actually quite difficult, but eventually he managed to get it open far enough to see inside.

Now, Ezio was no doctor, but he knew what the inside of his own mouth looked like, and it was nothing like this. The tongue was swollen practically beyond recognition, and it was rather difficult to see past it. But, when he finally managed to maneuver it so that he could try and see the throat, he could see that the muscles _there_ were incredibly swollen as well. Agostino Conti had suffocated to death.

Of course, this could have been in reaction to many things, but his mouth was still feeling a little tingly from putting just a small drop of the wine he had been drinking in his mouth. Ezio was almost positive by now that this man had been poisoned.

"I will see that things are made right," Ezio said to the corpse as he gently closed its mouth. _"Requiescat in pace."_

* * *

"You promise that you won't be away long?" Ambra asked as she and Ezio stood in front of the door to her house.

"I'll be as quick as I can, _cara_," Ezio promised her. "I just need to take care of a few things at the villa." Really, he wanted to take advantage of its library. He was sure that his uncle would have at least one book on poison, hoping that knowing what killed Agostino Conti would help identify the person who did it. "I'll be back before dinner time." Ambra nodded as he kissed her on the forehead, and watched him walk away until she couldn't see him anymore.

She was surprised when she walked into her house in that her mother was out of bed, and seemed to be in much better spirits than she had been before. There was even the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Ambra! I have been waiting for you to return!" she exclaimed when she saw her daughter walk through the door. "I have some news that will perhaps ease the burden of your father's passing."

"Do you?" Ambra asked, dubious.

"Yes," her mother confirmed.

"Did I hear someone say Ambra?" Francesco asked as he came from the direction of the parlor, and suddenly Ambra's stomach dropped. She knew exactly what this was about. Francesco sure didn't waste any time.

"We are saved, Ambra!" her mother exclaimed. "Francesco has asked for your hand in marriage. He says that he will take care of us and make sure that your sisters and I are provided for and that we'll even get to live in this house."

Though Ambra heard all of this, she was having difficulty reacting. She knew that this was going to be coming soon, just not _this_ soon. It was all too much. Her father was not even _in_ his grave, yet! Did he have no shame?

"Ambra say something!" her mother ordered.

"You both disgust me," was the only thing she could think of before she calmly started ascending the stairs to her bedroom, hoping that no one would follow her. Once she slammed the door to her room behind her, she allowed her calm façade to dissolve. Never in her life had she been angrier than she was at that moment. For what seemed like the millionth time in the past few days, Ambra started to cry.

She didn't even know what these tears were for. Obviously she was upset that she was going to have to marry Francesco, but that wasn't what was bothering her the most. That was nothing compared to what had just happened to her. She couldn't believe that Francesco couldn't even wait a day after his main obstacle was out of the way before making his move. What's more, she couldn't believe that her mother had just traded her as if her happiness was not even an issue.

Sure, for many girls, the situation was the same. They had no say in who they married or when they did it. But Ambra had been brought up knowing that her father would never force her into something she didn't want. Now her only protector was gone, and it hadn't taken Francesco very long to take advantage of that. If _this_ was the way he acted now, she couldn't even imagine what things would be like once she was his wife and, essentially, his property.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

Ezio ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair as he stared down at what was perhaps the tenth book he had looked at that day. There were quite a few poisons that killed by asphyxiation, and at this point he was just trying to narrow them down. He didn't really have much to go on besides the fact that the scent of it was easy to mask and that it caused vomiting before death.

He was starting to feel like this was a lost cause. Even if he _did_ manage to figure out what he had been, none of the poisons he was considering could possibly lead to anyone else in Monteriggioni. Linking the poison to the person was his only reason for conducting this research. Ezio had never actually felt useless before, but at this point there was nothing he could do for Ambra, and he really didn't like the feeling.

Frustrated, he slammed the book closed and left it on the table. Claudia would put it away later, he figured. She was always complaining that there was nothing to do, anyway.

"You had better put all of those books back where you found them," the sister in question remarked as she entered the library. Ezio looked at her with what he thought was an intimidating glare, but she wasn't moved. She knew that he wouldn't do anything to her. "What are you reading about poisons for, anyway?" She asked as she looked at the titles of the books Ezio had discarded. "Trying to kill someone?"

Ezio laughed half-heartedly before answering. "My friend's father died yesterday," he told her. "And I think that it might have been murder."

"Now, when you say friend, do you mean an actual friend, or do you mean this Ambra that you have been running around with day and night?"

"Did you hear about her father?" Ezio asked.

"I did," Claudia answered. "Horrible. I shall go over and pay my respects, perhaps try and offer Allegra some comfort." Ezio nodded but didn't say anything. He wasn't really in the mood for conversing. Instead, he walked past his sister and headed for the door of the villa.

"Going to see Ambra?" Claudia asked teasingly.

"Yes," he answered shortly, not bothering to give an explanation. Once he was out of the house, he picked up his pace. He had told her that he wouldn't be gone for long and it had already been several hours. He was beginning to think he could prolly make the journey from his villa to Ambra's house with his eyes closed. Upon reaching the door, he knocked respectfully, and was answered in a timely manner by Allegra.

"_Signor Auditore,"_ she greeted, bowing her head and bobbing a small curtsey. "I am guessing that you are here to see my sister?"

"I am," Ezio confirmed.

"Good luck," Allegra said as she opened the door wider and stood aside so that Ezio could enter the house, "after Mama told her the news she locked herself in her bedroom and she won't come out." Knowing that it would be highly improper for him to go up to Ambra's room, and not wanting to bring her out if she was upset enough to lock herself in, Ezio declined the invitation to enter the house.

"I think I might just give her some time," he lied. Allegra nodded, and without any more words she just closed the door. Under other circumstances, Ezio would have thought her extremely rude, but she had just been through a lot, so he did not think ill of her.

Standing back from the house, Ezio looked up at the second story. He knew Ambra's room was not at the front of the house, but at the back, so he started making his way to the back of the building. As he walked, he found Ambra's window and was pleased to see that it was open. He looked around for a foothold or something he could grab. He started on a windowsill and worked his way up until he was right beneath Ambra's window.

"Ambra!" he hissed as he let his head come slowly into view so as not to scare her. When he looked inside, he saw her sleeping on her bed, and figured that she would have wanted him to enter had she been awake.

His footsteps on the wood floor woke her, and she blinked groggily as her eyes focused.

"Ezio," she croaked, her throat sore from crying. "How did you get in here?"

"I climbed in through the window," he answered as he leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. He gave her a small smile. "And I assumed that you had left it open just for me, so I didn't think you'd mind my just showing myself in."

"Not at all," Ambra assured him.

"So, your sister told me that after you heard some news from your mother, you locked yourself in here," Ezio began. "What did she tell you?"

"Oh, only that I am marrying Francesco because he told my mother that if he married me he would take care of her and my sisters. Make sure that they don't starve or lose the house," Ambra answered flippantly, as if she hadn't been crying over it for the past few hours. "What have _you_ been doing?"

Ezio was very taken aback by this announcement. He wasn't quite sure about what to say to her. Absently, he pondered on how often she made him speechless, and decided that he was going to have to get better at handling surprises.

But then it all came flooding to him instantly. Why hadn't he thought of this before! Francesco … but no, surely he wouldn't go that far? He wouldn't kill a man to marry his daughter. Ezio had spoken with this boy, had looked into his eyes, and they were not the eyes of a killer. At least he hadn't thought so.

It would all fit so nicely, though. He could imagine the scenario now. Francesco had asked Signor Conti for permission to marry Ambra, Agostino said no, so Francesco offered him the bottle of wine as a token of appreciation. With her father out of the way, he knew how easy it would be to get what he wanted.

But would he actually go through with it? Ezio wasn't so sure. His interactions with Francesco had led him to believe that he was a coward. But then again, poison _was_ a pretty cowardly weapon.

"For God's sake, Ezio, don't stare at me like that," Ambra spat.

"Well, there's not really much for me to say," Ezio told her.

"I know, there's nothing for either of us to say," Ambra agreed. "I will have to marry Francesco. I suppose it's not _too_ horrible. Some good will come from it, and if you can make such a generous offer, perhaps he won't make such an awful husband."

"I doubt that," Ezio murmured. "Ambra, you can't marry him."

"And why not?" Ambra asked. "You're going to be gone, it won't make much difference to you." Once again, Ezio could not come up with a suitable response. He felt completely useless, as if there was absolutely nothing he could do at this point. It wasn't a feeling to which he was accustomed.

He could tell her about his suspicions, that it was possible that Francesco killed her father, but she was too volatile at the moment. Her emotions were everywhere, and he didn't want to do more harm than good.

"Look, Ezio," she stood up. "I know that you are staying here, postponing your … business because you think I need you here. And I do, I really do, but I think the longer you stay, the more it is going to hurt when you leave."

"So, what are you saying?" he asked of her, his stomach dropping. He knew that it was going to come to this, that he was going to leave, but he was sure that it would be on _his own_ terms, not hers. The only reason he asked the questions was because he was, once again, shocked. It had come out of his mouth without even having to think about it. She was going to tell him to leave, and he wasn't ready for that.

"I'm saying that I won't hold you here any longer," Ambra sighed as she walked towards him. "We are only delaying the inevitable, and I'd rather just get all of my pain in now than have to deal with more later. I expect nothing more from you." She stood in front of him and kissed him gently on the lips. She had struggled with herself for hours, but in the end, she concluded that this was the best –the only- way for her to do this. She couldn't try and fool herself anymore, she had to let him go. _"Vá con Dio."_

Ezio stared down at her for a moment, stroking her face gently. She was acting in way that was far beyond her sixteen years, and it was a little disconcerting. He knew that she was hurting, that this was the last thing she wanted to do, but she was still going through with it. At that moment, Ezio decided not to tell her what he thought about Francesco. He didn't want to make things any harder for her than they already were.

He kissed her back, knowing that this would probably be the last time. _"Non scordare mai quanto ti amo."_

)*0*(

And so ends PART ONE! Thanks to all of my faithful reviewers. You really make this a lot more enjoyable for me. Don't worry, there is still a lot in store for Ezio and Ambra.

I know that I have been remiss in explaining/translating all of the Italian that I've used, but I try to use it in a way so that the meaning is obvious. However, I think there are a few in this chapter that were not used in the game and are not so obvious.

Dolcezza: A team of endearment, something akin to sweetness

Non scordare mai quanto ti amo: Never forget that I love you

Vá con Dio: Go with God


	8. Venezia

"_**Fate is not satisfied with inflicting one calamity."**_

_**Publilius Syrus – 1**__**st**__** Century B.C.**_

**Seven Years Later**

When people encounter something the likes of which they have never seen before. There is always a sense of wonder and amazement. Ambra De Luca was no exception to this rule. When she had stepped out of their carriage at Forli and onto a boat, the excitement truly began. She had never before been on a boat, and adventures were something she had been missing for the past few years.

However, her excitement over the boat was dwarfed by the feeling she had when she first set eyes on Venice. Having spent her whole life in a small, dilapidated, though slowly recovering town, the sight of a city took her breath away. Her husband had offered to take her to Florence first, as it wasn't too far out of the way, but Ambra did not want to go anywhere near it for reasons that were too painful to recall.

"Do you like it, _Tesora?_" Francesco asked as he approached her from behind and placed his hands on the edge of the boat so that his arms were on either side of her. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he got his first look at the city as well. It had been tough deciding whether he should take his wife away from her family and friends to follow a new … business opportunity in Venice, but in the end _she_ had been the one to tell him that they should go.

"I've lived here my whole life," she had told him one evening over dinner. "It is about time I experienced something new."

And so they had packed their clothes and most of their belongings and hired a carriage that would take them to Forli, and from there, on to Venezia.

"It's beautiful," Ambra said airily, distracted by the sight before her.

"At least from here," Francesco agreed, "I hope that it looks the same once we are inside."

"Oh, I'm sure that it will be," Ambra assured him. The wind whipped her honey-colored hair in her husband's face, but he did nothing to control it. He had actually forbidden Ambra from putting her hair up quite some time ago. There was no sight more pleasing to him than the amber river that flowed down her back, stopping right at the small of it.

"I've been told that our _palazzo_ is quite the marvel."

"Sounds rather grand for just the two of us," Ambra murmured. Much to her despair, it seemed that she was unable to have children. Naturally, the blame was placed on her, but Ambra wasn't so sure about the accuracy of that charge. All three of her sisters had experienced no problems in conceiving. She was having a hard time believing that she would be the only barren one.

But she wouldn't dare suggest to Francesco that it wasn't she who was the problem. She had learned early on that his temper was not something to be provoked. For the most part, he was a benevolent, indulgent spouse, but there were times when Ambra feared him. She did her best to keep those moments from happening.

"I'm sure that it will rarely be empty," Francesco assured her. "You will host many dinner parties and balls. You'll probably be almost as busy as I will be." Ambra had no idea what the nature of her husband's job in Venice was going to be. All questions on the subject were met by a change of subject. Whatever they were doing here, Francesco didn't want her to know about it. But that was just as well. Along with learning when to keep her mouth closed, Ambra had also figured out how to keep her nose in her own business.

"If you say so," Ambra responded as she pushed away from the ledge and walked towards the front of the boat. It wouldn't be long until they reached their landing, but she had always been rather impatient, and she wasn't really sure about how much she liked traveling on water. She felt as if her breakfast was not quite content to stay in her stomach, and didn't want her husband to see her vomit if it came to that.

)0()0()0()0()0(

"You can watch these ships all day," Rosa began as she stared up at Ezio, "but I'm doubtful they'll bring you what you want."

"He left by ship," Ezio reminded his friend as he looked down at her. "If he returns, he will do so by ship. There's no other way to reach _Venezia_."

"I doubt that Borgia will be coming back to _Venzia_," Rosa informed him as she patted him on the arm. "You're better off killing the small fish in the pond, first." Ezio shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of a chest, leaning against one of the dock pilings.

"Even so," Ezio answered, "I haven't been here all day. And I won't stay here all day. I see something in the distance. I'll wait to see what it is before I leave."

"As long as you don't stay here," Rosa purred. "I have some other things for you to do." Ezio couldn't help but smirk, but he didn't look at Rosa.

"I bet I can figure out the nature of these _things_," he told her, the same playful note in his voice. He and Rose had developed a rather … special relationship. They were good for each other in certain ways, bad in others, but the good was immediate enough that it outweighed any other possible drawbacks. For instance, Ezio had the most perfectly made body she had ever seen. Rosa, on the other hand, had a vagina.

"You know me too well, _Messer Auditore_," Rosa informed him playfully. She looked at the approaching ship as well, doubting that it would be of any importance. It was coming from the direction of Forli. If someone was trying to enter Venice secretly, they wouldn't come from that way.

"You're not especially difficult to figure out," Ezio reminded her as he turned his eye back to the horizon. As it stood now, he had a few leads on some people who were suspected Templars, but he had no real reason to kill them besides that. He was pretty sure they could not offer him any information that he did not already have, or help him in any way. Basically, he felt like he was running in circles chasing after smoke.

"I'm not sure if you meant that to be an insult," Rosa informed him.

"As if I would ever insult _you, bella mia_," Ezio responded dryly. This statement was greeted by a punch in the arm. Ezio didn't even flinch. Rosa was quite strong for a woman, but he was much bigger. There wasn't really much she could do to damage him.

The ship was drawing closer, and Ezio strained his eyes to try and see the passengers. He could make out one figure standing at the head. A woman, by the way her hair was dancing in the wind. As she came nearer to him, he could tell that she was probably of some noble descent, or at least wealthy. His interest was piqued. Where there was money, there was usually some form of corruption or treachery. Maybe it was the kind he was looking for.

"She looks rich," Rosa echoed what Ezio was thinking. He only nodded.

The wind was high today, so the ship was quickly approaching the dock, and as it came closer, he could slowly make out more and more features of the woman standing at the head of the ship. She was tall for a woman, and her hair had the same color as dark amber, with its slightly red, slightly golden tint. For a moment, he felt a small pang, but by this point of his life, it was _very_ small. At times, he couldn't even remember Ambra's face anymore. It only came to him in dreams of the past. Her hair was more memorable, though.

"I know. That is why I am so interested," Ezio informed her. "The rich bring all sorts of things with them, and not just material things."

"You think she could be a Templar?" Rosa asked.

"There are no female Templars," Ezio stated. "But I doubt that she has come alone. Anything is possible." As he watched the woman, she turned around and headed towards the back of the ship. It was almost time to come into the dock, and she had to prepare to get off.

"Well, for your sake, I hope that she brings some intrigue with her," Rosa stated as she started walking away from him; she had things to do. "You've been a little bored, lately."

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"Mind your step, _Signora De Luca_," one of the crew warned as he jumped down before Ambra in order to take her hand as she lighted on the dock.

"_Grazie,"_ Ambra replied, distracted as she looked upon Venice. The city on the water was definitely unlike anything she had ever seen before. She was excited for the next boat ride. The ship that had brought them here was too large to enter the canals that were the main mode of transportation in the city, so they would have to put their things onto a smaller boat that would take them to their _palazzo._

Francesco watched Ambra as she stared upwards. His wife did always have a sense of adventure, and often got bored in her surroundings at Monteriggioni. At times, she would disappear for the whole day, off by herself beyond the city walls. God knew what she did out there, but she refused to let anyone accompany her, and Francesco hadn't pushed it.

But Francesco wasn't the only one watching Ambra. Closer than anyone would have thought was Ezio, leaning against the piling, doing his best to maintain his composure. He seldom - never - lost control of himself, but he was dangerously close at the moment. His mind was moving at one hundred miles a minute and he could not keep up with it.

Before him was someone he thought he would never see again. He had come to terms with the fact that she was lost to him. But there she was standing right before him and he couldn't move. He was rooted to the wood of the dock, a sitting duck. Anyone could have taken a shot at him at that moment and he would have taken the hit. He might not have even noticed it, such was his shock.

Now that he could get a closer look at her, he could see how much she had changed in the past seven years. Her hair, though still maintaining its amber glow, had slightly different characteristics. It had more red in it, and it was much thicker and longer. Her green eyes were lined with dark kohl, increasing their intensity. The girl of sixteen that Ezio had retained in his mind's eye no longer existed. Before him stood a woman. Her bosom was close to spilling out of the green velvet dress she wore, creating almost a perfect hourglass figure in conjunction with her small waist. No, she looked very different, but it was still obvious that she was the very same Ambra. His Ambra.

The only thing that looked the same were her freckles. Only there were more of them, covering her entire face. This feature, normally considered a deformity, only made her more remarkable. To some men, he supposed, she might have been a little odd-looking. Especially in Venezia, where dark hair and eyes were so common. But to him … to him she was … exquisite.

She stared up at the tall buildings as everyone around her hurried to get their things into the two boats that her husband had rented.

Her husband.

He stood behind her with a possessive as well as protective hand on her shoulder. It almost made Ezio ill to watch him lean over, push the river of hair away from her ear, and whisper something into it. His condition was only made worse by her smile in response.

So he _had_ managed to make her love him. It was a bittersweet moment for Ezio. Somewhere in the very back of his mind, in a corner of his consciousness, he was glad that she was happy, or that she at least seemed to be. But the rest of him was filled with the green flame of jealousy. And then of course there was his anger. He had not forgotten the circumstances in which he had left Ambra. To him, Francesco was still a murderer, even if he had managed to make her happy.

One thing Ezio realized was that there were no children surrounding them, and Ambra's form certainly showed no signs that she had borne a child. Ezio wasn't sure what to make of this. He was positive that Francesco would exercise his right to his wife's body. Often.

There must have been something wrong. He was a little disappointed in himself for how pleased that made him.

Ezio managed to snap himself out of his reverie long enough to realize that Ambra and Francesco were now getting into another boat and setting off down a canal. Quickly, he moved to the end of the dock and jumped across the pilings, flinging himself onto a building and climbing upwards so that he could follow them from above, undetected.

Meanwhile, at sea level, Ambra's eyes were scanning the tops of the buildings. The sheer size and grandeur of them amazed her. Never before had she seen anything like this, and now it was her home. She was barely able to contain her excitement as she pointed out all of the façades that caught her attention to her husband, who good-naturedly tolerated her, as a parent would a child. As she looked up at the rooftops, she noticed a few shingles falling, as a result of Ezio's running on them. Of course, she didn't know it was Ezio's doing, so she pointed it out to her husband.

"They seem to be falling apart," she remarked.

"The air is very damp here, _Signora_," said the gondolier, "it sometimes makes the _palazzi_ a little difficult to maintain. But I can assure you, the quality of the buildings in _Venezia_ will never find its equal anywhere in Italy. Maybe even Europe."

"That's comforting," Ambra stated, though still not convinced.

"So what brings you two all the way here from _Toscana?_" The man asked.

"Business opportunity," Francesco answered shortly, making it clear that no more questions on this subject would be tolerated. Once again, Ambra's curiosity was piqued. She really wished that Francesco would tell her what they were doing here. After all, it was her life, too, and she felt that she had a right to know. But she would have to find out through other means.

However, she was not left to ponder on this for too long, because at that moment, the gondola stopped at the private dock of her new home. Her mouth dropped as she stared up at the imposing edifice. Three stories of grandeur loomed in front of her.

It was simply shaped, nothing more than a rectangular building, but the opulence with which it was decorated was staggering. On the left of the first floor, obviously, there were doors; a large set of double doors to be more specific. Doors made of wood so dark that they almost looked black, with intricate carvings of angels and saints welcoming the new owners. The next two floors had large balconies with columns made of the purest white marble, and elaborate windows to match.

"This is beautiful," Ambra breathed.

"I'm sure that it's nothing compared to what is inside," Francesco stated as he helped Ambra from the boat and they walked towards the front door, leaving their things with the men they had hired. Francesco pulled a key from one of the inside pockets of his jacket and shoved it into the door, turning it with a resounding click. Pushing the door open, he saw that he had been correct. The outside was ugly compared to the inside.

The floors shone like they had just been polished yesterday, the red tiles of the entryway making a stark contrast with the white walls. Each way he looked, there were rooms lavishly decorated in the latest fashions with silk curtains, plush couches, and he even spotted a pianoforte in what he supposed was the parlor. Their home in Monteriggioni had been quite comfortable and grander than most of the other houses, but this was leaps and bounds ahead of anything he had ever seen before.

The Templars were paying him well.

)0()0(

Tesora: Treasure


	9. Una Scelta

I'm sorry that it has taken so long to update, but now that I'm finally getting into the swing of the semester, I'm not going to have as much time to write. But I will update when I can, and hope that the suspense will just make you like the story more.

)0()0()0(

"I have some associates that I have to meet with, _amore_," Francesco informed his wife after the majority of their things had been unpacked. Since the _palazzo_ had come mostly furnished, they hadn't brought much, but what they had was valuable, so Francesco had wanted to make sure it had all been put in its rightful spot before leaving. "You will be fine without me?"

"Of course," Ambra answered.

"Don't venture out on your own, please," Francesco requested. "I know that you are eager to explore, but I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm sure these people have never seen beauty the likes of yours." Ambra smiled as Francesco stroked her cheek. "Tomorrow I have the whole day. We'll do whatever you want." Ambra just nodded as Francesco kissed her on the forehead and turned on his heel, heading towards the door.

When she saw the large doors close behind him, Ambra sighed. She had this humongous house all to herself, and no idea what to do.

She found the stairs and started heading up. Already having seen that the bedroom she would share with Francesco was all set up, she decided that she would go to her own personal quarters. As of now they were a little bare, but Francesco had told her that they could buy whatever she wanted to decorate her rooms.

Walking over to the large window, she pulled it open and stepped onto the small balcony that was on the other side. Already she could imagine the white, silk curtains that would be hanging there as soon as she got a hold of them. They would flutter in the breeze as she soaked in the view of this beautiful city every morning, with the sun peeking through the tips of the opulent buildings, painting everything gold. Everything would be perfect.

Indeed it would. As she stepped out onto her balcony, Ezio looked down at the top of her head. He was standing on the roof, debating whether or not it would be wise to climb down and make his presence known. Every inch of his body itched with desire to go to her. Normally, Ezio was not one to stifle his urges, but he didn't know how she would react, didn't even know if she would recognize him. Granted, he didn't look that different than he had the last time he saw her, but … well, he felt so changed.

Suddenly, his body was moving on its own accord, hanging from a ledge, he dropped down to the balcony next to Ambra's. She had just retreated back into the room, but she still heard the dull _thud_ that occurred when Ezio's feet hit the marble.

She froze, a ripple of fear running through her body. Of course, Ambra had heard of all the crime that occurred when so many people lived in so small a space, but she had just arrived! Surely the thieves would have at least given her a moment to settle in before robbing her?

Then, she heard another thud, only this time it was on her own balcony. Afraid to turn around, she stared at the doors that led to her chambers, wondering how quickly she could reach them and shut them behind her. But, before she could make a move, the intruder spoke to her.

"_Non avere paura, mia cara,"_ he said softly to her back, amazed at how still she was. When she turned around and looked at him, he felt like he had just been punched in the face. From close range, she was breathtaking. He entered the room slowly as she continued to stare at him, unsure if he was even real. She had dreamt about him so many times, only to wake up and realize that she really would never see him again.

But never before had she seen him like this in her dreams. Having finally lowered his hood, Ezio's face become clear to Ambra. He looked so much older, and not just physically … there was something in his eyes that was a testament to how much he had seen, how much of it he wished he could forget. Moving down, she saw, even through his layers of clothing, that his muscles were no longer the long, lean, young ones of youth, but the bulky, hard, powerful ones that came with age. Like her, he had aged well.

Unable to speak, she still opened her mouth, but it just closed again when he closed the distance between them and stood right in front of her, their bodies so close they were almost touching. She finished the job by reaching out and touching his face, the stubble of his beard rough beneath her fingers.

"You're real," she whispered.

"So are you," he answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Ambra replied, missing the meaning of his question.

"I can see that, _dolcezza_," Ezio responded, immediately slipping back into his old terms of endearment. "Why have you moved to _Venezia_?"

"Oh," Ambra replied, blushing slightly. "I don't know. My husband won't tell me. But what are _you_ doing here? How did you know where I was? Or did you know at all? Do you make a habit out of appearing in strange women's windows?"

"One question at a time, Ambra," Ezio put one finger over her lips. "I'm here because I was on the docks when your ship came in. I saw you and I followed you, so I knew that you were here. As it is, I don't often show up in the windows of strange women, though I wish I did."

Ambra scoffed as she pushed herself away from him, but only because she didn't want him to see that she was blushing. A lady, she wasn't used to such brazen speech.

"So you followed me," she continued with her back to him. Fingering the smooth wood of one of the small tables in the room, just to have her hands busy, she asked, "Why?"

"Would you rather that I hadn't?" Ezio responded.

"That is not an answer to my question." Ezio had reached out to touch her, but she crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at him expectantly. "Why did you follow me?"

"Wouldn't _you_ have done the same?" Ezio asked of her, still skirting around the answer, which was unclear to _him_ as well. Why had he followed her? It was something he hadn't even thought about; his body, his instincts, had taken over. Not following her had not been an option.

"Well, I don't think I would have been able to," Ambra answered practically with a shrug. "I imagine you were up on the rooftops, out of sight. Was it you pushing the shingles off?"

"Some of the roofs need to be fixed." Ezio's shrug matched Ambra's. Her demeanor was starting to make him feel uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what kind of reception he had expected, but a little more excitement would have been nice. When he had seen her, he had been practically frozen in his tracks. It took a few minutes to regain full control of his body. But she seemed not to care at all. Of course, Ezio had no idea of how good Ambra had become at hiding her emotions over the past seven years. He had no idea of how essential that was to her.

However, he wasn't about to let her get in the way of this. He hadn't realized how much he missed her until he set eyes on her. "I would have torn down all of _Venezia_ to follow you, _dolcezza._"

"You shouldn't say things like that," Ambra informed him.

"And why not?" Ezio demanded.

"Because we're going to get hurt again if we continue down this path," Ambra answered. Ezio now remembered how she had always had a way of surprising him. She had apparently gotten even more blunt since he had last seen her, something he wasn't sure was possible. "Now answer my question."

"I followed you because I wanted to, Ambra," Ezio responded. "There is really not much else I can say besides that." There was silence for a moment until Ambra finally uncrossed her arms, her tough outer shell slowly breaking down.

"There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" she asked, pleased with the answer she had just received. "I would have thought that by now you would have gotten less stubborn, but it seems that you have only gotten worse."

"As have you," Ezio reminded her, and then quickly changed the subject. She wasn't the only one allowed to ask questions. "When did you and Francesco marry?" The small smile on her face disappeared.

"Shortly after my father's funeral," she answered. "My mother was eager to ease her burden."

"Well I'm glad that something good could come of it," Ezio said lamely, feeling like the conversation was going to take a turn that he didn't want it to.

"He's not a bad husband," Ambra told Ezio, answering the question that she knew he was too proud, stubborn, or possibly both, to ask. "He treats me well, for the most part."

"For the most part?"

"All couples have their problems," Ambra informed him.

"And what are yours?" Ezio inquired. Though his demeanor was calm, he could feel his old protective feelings towards her coming back. So used to being around people who could fend for himself, it was hard for him to remember that she really had no say in her own life. If he could help her, then he would.

"What goes on between my husband and myself in none of your business," she informed him coolly. "In fact, if we want to be picky, _none_ of what goes on in my life is any concern of yours. You forfeited that right when you chose."

"I didn't _choose_, Ambra," Ezio corrected her. "I didn't even have a choice."

"There is always a choice, Ezio," Ambra informed him as she got closer to him. Once near enough, she reached out and touched the weapons that were hidden beneath his cloak, fingering the handles of his knives softly. "You made yours. You seem to be doing well."

"And what about you?" Ezio asked. "Do you think that you had a choice?"

"I would be a hypocrite if I said that I didn't," Ambra reminded him with a sigh. Her hands now moved to his torso, traveling upwards towards his shoulder, then to the strong curve of his neck. "Once you left, my choices were limited. I could have gone, as well, run away and never looked back … but I did what I thought I should, as did you."

Her hands were cool against his skin, which was still warm from the exertion of following her along the rooftops. He shivered slightly as his eyes closed. Every inch of his body felt like it was on fire, and he reached out as well, cupping her waist between his hands. Just as he started leaning forward to taste those lips once more, she let go of him and backed away, leaving him exposed.

"I made my choice, Ezio. As did you." She turned around and started walking away from him, wanting to leave the room for fear of what she might do if she stayed. As Ezio watched her retreating form, so many different emotions started swelling within him. Anger was the foremost of them. Anger at the circumstances under which he had left, anger at how Francesco had underhandedly won the prize that he _wished_ he could have, and anger at Ambra for manipulating him so, and anger at himself for how easily he had fallen back into her.

If he hadn't been so angry, he might not have told her that Francesco killed her father just before she left the room. He wouldn't have taken so much joy in the way she froze as she was, every muscle in her body tensing. For once, he was the one who had surprised _her, _and he couldn't keep the malicious grin from his face.

He was disappointed, though, at how calmly she handled the accusation.

"What makes you think this?" she inquired without looking at him, not wanting him to see that her carefully constructed mask had faltered, and that seven years worth of pain was now showing on her face. Ezio was all too happy to explain.

"When we were in his study, the day after …" Ezio began, not caring about what reliving this memory might do to her. "When you tasted the last few drops of wine from the bottle, you thought it was just strong. I tasted it, too, and I knew that no wine was strong enough to make my entire mouth go numb."

"Enough," Ambra choked out, but Ezio ignored her.

"So then, when we went to the morgue … you let me go in by myself. I looked inside his mouth. The inside of his throat was burnt and inflamed. I knew that he had been poisoned."

"You're lying." She still wouldn't look at him, but she wouldn't just stand there and listen to this.

"Why would I make this up, _mia cara?_" Ezio asked softly, still reveling in her disconcertion.

"I don't know," Ambra answered. "Why wouldn't you tell me as soon as you suspected it?"

"I didn't want to add to your pain at the moment," Ezio responded, "but right now, I don't really care about your pain, seeing as you seem so indifferent to mine." At this point, Ambra could stand no more. She reeled around and glared at him, a few stray tears daring to make the journey across her cheeks.

"You know _nothing_ of my pain."

Immediately, the smile was wiped from Ezio's face, and he took a step towards her, his hand outstretched.

"Ambra-" he began.

"Get out of my house," she ordered.

"_Mi dispiace, cara!_ I didn't mean-"

"LEAVE!" she shrieked. She needed him gone; she couldn't let him see what was about to occur. For so long, she had been able to survive because she was able to keep these feelings locked up deep within her, but he had opened Pandora's box, and she wasn't sure about what kind of chaos was about to be unleashed.

Though he flinched, Ezio had not gotten to where he was by giving in to fear or the urge to flee. God knew he wanted to leave rather than deal with what he had just done. But his honor wouldn't allow it.

He walked towards her. She didn't back away, but as soon as he was within range, she reached out and slapped him across the face, leaving deep fingernail gauges in his cheeks. Ezio could have blocked her, or dodged her, but he let it happen. He also allowed her to beat her fists against his chest a few times before he threw his arms around her and drew her into his body, her face pressed against him.

He was surprised that she wasn't actually crying. She was too shocked and angry for real tears. If he was right … she couldn't even think about what might happen if he was right. Could she live with Francesco knowing that he had killed her father?

No. The answer to that was no.

"I should have told you sooner," he told her.

"_Silenzio!"_ Ambra spat as she tried to push herself away from him, but was unsuccessful. She had barely gotten a few inches between them when Ezio pulled her back into him and covered her mouth with his own. Ambra pulled away and slapped him across the face once more, this time on the other cheek. Rather than react, he just continued looking at her with a gaze that seemed to pierce her very soul for a moment before it moved down to her lips.

Without any thought to the consequence, Ambra put her hands behind his head and pulled his face towards hers. Spreading her lips, Ezio mounted an unadulterated attack on her mouth, lifting her off the ground and carrying her from the room. His survey of the house had helped him figure out where her bedroom was, and without taking his mouth from hers, he found the room in question and collapsed with her onto the bed, careful not to land on top of her.

Absently, he ran his hand across the silk of her dress, wanting desperately to feel the skin beneath. Ambra, afraid to touch him anywhere but his face for fear of what weapon she might encounter, stroked his cheek, delighting in the rough texture of his beard.

Just as he was about to pull at the laces on the back of her dress, he heard something. Of course, Ambra hadn't heard it, but her ears were not the same as his.

Someone had just entered the house, and he could only think of one person who might be doing so.

"Francesco is here," he hissed as he threw himself from the bed and hastened towards the window. Before he could jump out, Ambra grabbed him by the hand and pulled her back to him for one last kiss.

"Where can I find you?" he asked urgently.

"Nowhere you should be venturing, _cara_," he answered. "I'll find _you._" He kissed her once more, briefly but thoroughly, before swinging out the window, grabbing a ledge so that he could climb onto the roof, and disappearing from sight.

)0()0(

Non avere paura: Do not be afraid. (Literally: do not have fear)


	10. L'esca

Hey! I made a picture of how I imagine Ambra my avatar, for those of you who like visuals Thanks for the reviews!

-------

In a daze, Ezio moved quietly through the streets of Venice. He felt like he had just been caught in a whirlwind that hadn't quite let go of him, yet. The deep gauges in his cheek burnt, but he reveled in the sensation, only because of the woman who had inflicted the wounds.

A beggar accosted him as he turned a corner, and absently, Ezio reached into his pouch and flung a handful of coins onto the street, the action not even registering in his mind, such was his distraction. He couldn't believe what had just happened, that she was _here_ in Venice, of all places.

Making his way into the thieves' quarter, he had to force himself to be slightly more vigilant. Though most of the inhabitants knew who he was, there was always the odd one who didn't. They were never difficult to deal with, but that was because Ezio was always on his guard. Anyone could be overcome, given the chance, including Ezio. So, he preferred to not give anyone the chance.

Rosa still managed to find a way to take him unawares, though.

"What happened to your face?" she demanded as she approached him from his right, taking a hold of his face and turning it towards her. "Better make sure you keep that clean. I've seen some of the prostitutes you get mixed up with, and they're not exactly the cleanest of ladies."

"_Silenzio,_ Rosa," Ezio sighed as he pushed her hand away.

"Well, I hope that you gave as good as you got."

"You know I would never hit a lady," Ezio reminded her.

"Oh, I know that you would never hit a _lady_," Rosa assured him, "but I was not accusing you of keeping company with _ladies_."

"_Vaffanculo,"_ Ezio growled as he tried to push past Rosa.

"Oh, stop being so sensitive!" she exclaimed. "I have some good news to share with you, but if you are going to be such an ass, I guess that I will keep it to myself."

"It's not like I won't find out, anyway," Ezio said with a shrug, knowing that feigning indifference would be much more effective than demanding she share whatever news she had. "You forget who I am, Rosa."

"You are a pain in the ass, that is who you are," Rosa informed him. "There has been some new templar activity." Immediately, Ezio's interest was piqued. This was what he had been waiting for. The Templars had been keeping quiet, making it very difficult for him to gather information. It seemed that everything was coming together for him today.

"I'm interested," Ezio murmured as the two of them stopped walking so that Ezio could focus all of his concentration on Rosa. He always had better luck getting things out of her when she felt like she was the only thing to whom he was paying attention.

"You want to talk here?" Rosa asked, gesturing to their surroundings. They weren't exactly private.

"Right here," Ezio replied.

Rosa smirked. She always enjoyed the feeling of Ezio relying on her. "Well, all right."

)0()0()0(

"You're back soon," Ambra pointed out to her husband as she greeted him on the stairs. Francesco grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss. With the taste of Ezio still on her lips, she felt like she was betraying him by kissing her husband. That's when the feelings of disgust started surging in, especially when she thought about what Ezio had told her.

"I didn't want to leave you alone for too long," he informed her, "and my associates told me that they didn't really have much of a need for me today. They told me that I should tend to my beautiful wife." He started pushing her up the stairs, kissing her sporadically as he supported her, making sure she did not fall backwards.

"Your beautiful wife is a little tired," Ambra informed him as she backed up as quickly as she could without tripping over her voluminous skirts. "It has been a long day. I was just about to have a bath and then perhaps take a quick nap before supper."

"Well, that is a good idea, as we will be having some company tonight," Francesco informed her. "A very distinguished guest. Adamo Grimaldi and his wife Elettra." Ambra nodded.

"Well it seems that I will get to practice my hosting skills right away," she told him. Ambra couldn't help but be intrigued. Everything about their move to Venice was shrouded in mystery. At this point, she was eager for some answers. "Is this man one of your … associates?"

"He's a friend," Francesco answered, a bit more serious than he had previously been speaking. "And you will not ask him about business at this meal."

"Of course, Francesco," Ambra responded, eyes widened as she nodded emphatically. "Why all this secrecy?"

"There is no secrecy," Francesco answered, "only things that are none of your business." He brushed past his wife, uninterested in her now that she was asking so many questions. "And if you know what is good for you, you will not ask any more questions about it."

Ambra glared at her husband's back. This was the Francesco that she did her best to avoid. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have questioned him at all, but given what she had just heard … well, she was eager to probe him. She knew that she couldn't flat out ask him if he killed her father. He would deny it and then probably give her a good slap for her impudence.

"I'll see you at dinner, _amore_," she called, but received no answer. Ambra rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs as well, but this time going to her own private rooms. She had a feeling that she would be spending a lot of time in there. Absently, she thought that she would have to order something that could function as a bed, especially if Ezio was going to be making frequent calls.

The thought of Ezio brought a broad grin to her face. She couldn't help it. Her fingertips tingled with desire to touch him again, even though their reunion had been significantly less than perfect. She had even demanded that she leave her house. However, in hindsight, she was pleased that he hadn't listened to her. For once, his stubbornness was not a source of annoyance for her.

But she hated that he had been able to upset her so easily. Ambra prided herself on how much control she had over herself and her emotions. It wouldn't do to let every small remark reduce her to tears. Her father was a sensitive subject, and Ezio knew that. Of course, anyone who knew that her father was dead would be able to guess, but only Ezio could regale her with specifics from that awful day.

Ambra shook her head to clear it as she entered her rooms, closing the door behind her and leaning against the solid mahogany. Too much had happened in one day, and she was thoroughly exhausted. The worst part was that it wasn't even over. She still had a dinner to host.

In Monteriggioni, Ambra had hosted her fair share of dinner parties. But those were with her friends and family, and even if she didn't personally know someone who was going to eat at her table, she had at least seen them around before. At the moment, she had no idea what to expect of what she supposed would be Venetian aristocracy.

She didn't even know if she had anything suitable to wear. However, she didn't want to go to her bedroom, which was where Francesco was at the moment. As the seconds ticked on, she was becoming more and more disgusted. Ezio's accusation was beginning to make sense. He _had_ taken advantage of the removal of the only obstacle standing between himself and her hand in marriage. If she remembered correctly, her father hadn't even been dead for a full day before her mother broke the news. If she had only kept her eyes open, she might have suspected it herself.

But there was no proof, and she had about as much a chance of getting a confession out of her husband as she did sprouting wings and flying away.

If only.

)0()0()0(

"Are you ready, my love?" Francesco asked from the other side of the door to his wife's chambers. When he didn't receive an immediate answer, he attempted just walking right in. However, the door was locked, so he knocked harder. "Ambra!"

"_Uno minuto, per favore!"_ Ambra answered as she stared at herself in her looking glass. As per usual, she had lined her green eyes in kohl, making them seem extremely bright in comparison. However, no amount of make up would cover her freckles. Shrugging, she decided that everyone was just going to have to deal with them.

Standing up from her vanity, she walked over to the door and unlocked it, opening to reveal her rather unhappy husband. His blue eyes cold as he stared at her. Without saying a word, he pushed past her into the room.

"_Che cosa fa?"_ Ambra demanded as she watched her husband search the room.

"Why was the door locked?" he answered her question with one of his own.

"Because I wanted some privacy," Ambra responded as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Are you implying something?" Francesco immediately stopped his search and turned to fix another cold stare at his wife.

"Should I be?"

"Francesco, we just arrived, I don't know anyone in this city," Ambra reminded him. "The only people I've even come in contact with besides you are the ones who helped us move our things into the house." Ambra knew better than anyone Francesco's temper and tendency to jump to conclusions. The best way to handle such situations was with logic, she knew, rather than indignance, which would only make him more suspicious.

"You will not lock that door," Francesco told her as he walked back towards her, grabbing her by her upper arm and dragging her through said door.

"_Perche?"_

"What reason would you have?"

"They're _my_ rooms, I will do whatever I see fit with the doors," Ambra spat, which earned her a quick slap across the face. Her ears rang and her cheek burned as her eyes started to water.

"And you're my_ wife_, I will do whatever I see fit with you," he responded. "If you want to act like a child, you will be treated as such. If you insist upon locking your door, I will just have the lock removed. Or I'll take the key from you."

In reality, the blow hadn't really hurt that badly. Already the tingling was starting to disappear. It was the shock. Francesco very rarely actually hit her.

"You're lucky that we have guests coming and I don't want you to look abused," he added as an afterthought.

"When did you become such a tyrant?" Ambra asked of him. He really _was_ acting extremely strangely.

"When did you start questioning me so much?" Francesco asked as he led Ambra to the parlor and sat her down on one of the couches. "Just because we're in a new city doesn't mean that you get to act any differently. Now shut your mouth and sit still, _per favore_." Ambra took a deep, calming breath as she closed her eyes.

She had just settled herself into the chair, her skirts arranged to billow attractively around her legs, when one of the few servants they had on staff walked into the parlor and told them that their guests had arrived. Francesco bid that they be shown into the parlor, and to make sure dinner was ready within the next ten minutes.

Ambra was starting to get nervous. She was hoping that these people wouldn't attempt to rip her to shreds and then eat the pieces. When they entered, her fears were not put to rest.

The couple was a few years older than he and Francesco. The first person she noticed was the woman, Elettra. Like Ambra's, her name fit her. She was shining, all right, and brightly. Her midnight black hair was piled stylishly on top of her head so that the view of the stunning diamond collar around her neck was not obscured. Ambra couldn't take her eyes off the jewelry, a wide band of bright stones with a pendant dangling into her dramatic cleavage.

When she managed to drag her eyes from the woman's neck, she looked at her face and was immediately a little frightened. She was beautiful, but in a much darker, intimidating way than Ambra was. Her dark eyes seemed to bore holes into hers as she stared down her long, straight nose, a frown fixed on her generous mouth. She looked like one of the statues that stood outside of a church, glaring down at you, trying to make you feel guilty. Dressed in the latest fashion, her red dress looked like it had in fact been dyed with blood.

_Probably from her victims_, Ambra thought to herself.

Her husband, Adamo, was equally as scary, but not quite as beautiful. His long dark hair was tied at the nape of his neck with black ribbon, which matched the rest of his ensemble. Dressed almost completely in black, Adamo Grimaldi reminded Ambra of an austere schoolmaster. Not that she had ever been to a school, but she had heard stories. His dark green eyes, set on a slightly slanted angle because of his sharp cheekbones, were almost emotionless as he looked at her. Ambra was hard pressed to keep a welcoming smile on her face as she stood up to greet her guests.

"Welcome to our home," she said brightly as she held out her hand to Adamo, who took it gently by the fingers and kissed it in greetings.

"Thank you for having us, _Signora_ De Luca. Allow me to introduce you to my wife, Elettra," he made a sweeping movement towards his wife, who made a small curtsy, as did Ambra. However, Elettra said nothing, content merely to look at Ambra.

"Well," Francesco said, rubbing his hands together. "Allow me to show you to the dining room!'

)0()0()0(

Never in her life had Ambra been through something more painful than that dinner. She had barely spoken a word, the conversation having been dominated by Adamo, who seemed to be only interested in the politics of Venice. The names he dropped meant nothing to her. Barbarigo, Borgia … a few others that Ambra couldn't be bothered to remember.

Her few attempts at conversation with Elettra had been completely shut down by indifference. She wanted to be there as much as Ambra did. Very little.

So, Ambra allowed her mind to wander to the only other thing she had to think about. Ezio. It was amazing to her how completely he filled her senses even after such a long time of separation. She could still feel his stubble beneath her fingers, hear the voice as smooth as honey running over stones, and smell the scent he brought with him from the streets of Venice, a mix of the city air, soap, and the light sweat of exertion.

She found herself wishing that he had told her where she might be able to find him. His secrecy was probably due to some concern for her safety. Obviously, Venice was not Monteriggioni. But still, she hated not knowing where to find him. Being helpless was never something she had been good at. Waiting was _always_ something at which she had been terrible.

She was snapped out of her reverie by her husband's voice, telling her that she should entertain _Signora_ Grimaldi while the men retired to the study to have a private discussion. Ambra nodded her assent as if she had been waiting for this opportunity all night, when really she would have much rather burst into tears. But, there was nothing to be done with it, and she rose from the table, taking Elettra with her into the parlor while Francesco led Adamo away.

"Your wife is charming," Adamo praised as they entered Francesco's study. He was shown a chair across from the large desk towards the back wall, and Francesco sat behind it.

"_Grazie," _Francesco answered. "As is yours. We haven't spoken in a while. I trust that everything is going well?"

"As well as it can be going," Adamo answered as he propped his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers in front of his nose. "There is a fly in the ointment that keeps things from going as smoothly as possible."

"And what is that?" Francesco asked as he started rooting through his drawers. He had brought a few documents with him from Monteriggioni, ship ledgers, listing the precious cargo that he had brought with him into the Venice.

"The stupid assassin," he replied. "Ezio Auditore _da Firenze_. He has been a pain in my ass for years. And he killed my uncle, so you can imagine that he is not one of my favorites. He has had a personal vendetta against the templars since we had his father and brothers killed."

"Ezio Auditore?" Francesco asked, shocked. He hadn't heard that name in years. When he left Monteriggioni, he had assumed that he had been rid of him forever. But it seemed that was not the case.

"Yes …" Adamo answered slowly. "You have heard the name before?"

"I've had my fair share of problems with _Signor_ Auditore," Francesco responded. "Years ago he was … shall we say … my competition. He had an interest in my wife. Needless to say, I won that contest. Now if you will just look at-"

"_Molto interessante …"_ Adamo murmured. "Do you think that Auditore might have … ill will towards you?"

"I don't know, it was a long time ago."

"What about interest in your wife?" he persisted. "Auditore has a bit of a reputation as a ladies' man, and also very competitive. I'm sure that he would be grateful for the opportunity to … have a taste of her."

"Excuse me?" Francesco responded, trying to keep from sounding indignant. After all, this man was rather influential amongst the Templars. It wouldn't do to anger him.

"He has a reputation," Adamo repeated. "He likes women."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Francesco inquired.

"Maybe she can _help_ us," he answered.

"No," Francesco answered simply. "Now, I brought the-"

"No?" Adamo asked. "Do you really think that you are in a position to say no?"

"I-" Francesco began, but he was cut off.

"We don't know where he lives exactly, but he seems to like to run with thieves. We suspect that he takes refuge with them. The thieves district is in the northern part of the city. We have a man in place there to keep an eye on things … but he's not doing a very good job. You can go there under the pretense of meeting him. Bring your wife."

"What? No! I'm not bringing my wife among thieves and whatever filth might live there!" Francesco exclaimed.

"You are," Adamo answered. "And soon. Tomorrow, in fact. Let him know that she is here. Maybe he will come to us and we can deal with him once and for all." Admo stood up, signaling that the conversation was over. "Dinner was wonderful, my compliments to your chef."


	11. Intrigo

After watching Adamo leave his study, Francesco sat at his desk, at a loss for words. Not that there was anyone to talk to. If there was one thing he really hated, it was not having complete control over his life. And now this man was making a tool of his wife, one of the very few things over which he knew he would _always_ have complete hold. The worst part was there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. This man was very powerful, as were the people with whom he associated.

He stared at the ship ledgers he had been trying to show Adamo. Honestly, he didn't know what they meant. All he knew was that there was a box. What was inside remained an absolute mystery to him, another thing that annoyed him severely. It was as if he was nothing but a pawn. He had paid to have the box shipped to Monteriggioni, then transported to Forli, from there, to Venice, and then the warehouse in which they currently sat.

"_Merda"_ he murmured to himself, wondering just what he had gotten into. Finally, he stood up, wondering just how he was going to do this. He doubted that Ambra would say no to traveling anywhere in the city that wasn't within the four walls of their new home. That wouldn't be the issue. The problem would be keeping tabs on her and keeping her safe. She had a tendency to wander.

He left his study, calling Ambra's name as he moved through the unfamiliar _palazzo_. She answered quickly from the direction of the parlor, where he supposed she had taken Elettra when he told her to entertain.

She walked towards him, an apprehensive look on her face.

"Why did the leave so soon?" Ambra asked.

"It was a quick talk," Francesco answered with a shrug as he drew her into him. "You did very well tonight."

"I barely said a word," Ambra reminded him.

"As I said, you did very well." Ambra rolled her eyes and pushed away from him, but he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her back. "Ambra, there will be a time for you to dazzle everyone with your charms. Right now just isn't that time." He pulled her in and hugged her to him, running his hands through her red gold hair. "Thank you, Ambra."

Not quite sure what to do with herself, Ambra let her body hang limp in her husband's arms. She couldn't bring herself to embrace him in return. Her night had been too long and trying, and all because of his nonsense and need to look good in the eyes of his peers.

"_Signor_ Grimaldi thought you were extremely charming," Francesco told her. Ambra snorted.

"Well that is impossible," she responded. "I didn't speak to him. More like he thought I was extremely beautiful."

"And he would not be wrong," Francesco told her. Ambra sighed and broke out of his grasp.

"It's been a long day and I'm tired," she told him. She had never been more excited at the prospect of a bed, and a big one at that. If all went according to plan, she wouldn't have to touch her husband at all that much. "I'm going to sleep."

"That is a good idea," Francesco agreed as he started to follow her. "We have another busy day for tomorrow." Sighing, Ambra turned around to look at him. What would he ask of her, now? "I have to visit a friend in the northern part of the city," he explained. "I'm taking you with me."

In spite of herself, a smile spread slowly across Ambra's face. Finally, she would get a chance to explore her new home; it was difficult for her to contain her excitement.

"Yes, yes, I know. No need to thank me," Francesco said with mock modesty. The smile disappeared and Ambra rolled her eyes, albeit playfully. By this time, her husband had caught up with her and accompanied her into their bedroom, his fingers already working at the lacings of her dress. Ambra allowed him, simply because it would have been very difficult to complete the task on her own, but once she was down to her chemise, she stopped him from progressing any further.

"Not tonight, my love," she told him. "I'm not feeling well."

"What is wrong, _amore_?" he asked as he tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear, concern showing on his face.

"Just a headache," Ambra responded. "It's been a long day. Nothing sleep won't fix." And with that, she walked towards their bed, where the sheets had already been turned down. Sliding between the sheets, she breathed a contented sigh. It was a new bed, with new sheets, and very luxurious. She could definitely get used to this.

Knowing that she wouldn't appreciate it if he pushed her, Francesco took off his clothes and climbed into the bed as well, resisting the urge to touch her. When she wasn't feeling well, she became finicky and was likely to overreact to the smallest thing. Best to let her sleep.

)0()0()0(

Ezio was back at the docks. Rosa had told him that the Templars had indeed brought _something_ in on the ship in which Ambra had arrived. No one knew what it was, though, at least not the specifics. There was one box of a medium size and a regular shape, for which a whole warehouse had been rented for this one package. Knowing the contents of this particular package was Ezio's prime goal.

There were constantly guards at the entrance, which normally wouldn't be a problem. But Ezio saw no point in killing the guards when there was only one door, with many locks and a chain holding it closed, and no windows. There was one way in and one way out, and unless he had a key or something explosive, he wasn't getting in; no matter how many people he killed.

After an hour of surveying the scene, Ezio decided that it was time to head back to the brothel. He had been out all night and most of the morning, and he could use a bit of rest and relaxation. Perhaps the company of a few women would help his frayed nerves.

Deciding to take the streets instead of setting to the rooftops, he walked carefully, remaining vigilant at all times. He had done a good job of pulling down the posters with his face on them, but there was always the chance that a guard might recognize him. He kept his hood drawn and his face down. Only when he came into familiar territory did he let his guard down slightly. When he knew he was among people who at least resembled friends, he knew he could relax slightly.

And he _was_ relaxed. At least until he saw someone there who wasn't supposed to be. No one else around here had hair that color. Wondering what she was doing there, he saw that she at least wasn't alone. Her husband had her on his arm, with his free hand gripping tightly to her upper arm. His eyes were sweeping the area warily. He seemed scared. As he should have been. Even _Ezio_ would have been reluctant to bring Ambra there, and no one would _dare_ challenge him.

Keeping his eye on the two of them, he slowly got closer, trying to decide on the best choice of action. As much as he would have loved to alert Francesco to his presence, he knew that probably wasn't a good idea. Discretion was key, especially if he was going to be visiting his home frequently.

He wanted to speak to Ambra, ask her what she was doing here. In his head he started formulating a plan that would bring Francesco's attention away from her momentarily. Right at that moment, a young boy brushed past Ezio. A pickpocket. Quickly, Ezio grabbed the boy by the shoulder and dragged him back.

"Ow! Sir I didn't take anything, I swear!" the little boy exclaimed as he put his hands up for Ezio to see.

"Quiet," Ezio snapped, "you're not in trouble. I know that you didn't take anything. But if you can help me, you might be able to earn something." Immediately the boy perked up.

"How can I help you, _Signore_?" he asked.

"That's better," said Ezio as he let the boy go. "What is your name?"

"Severo," he answered. As he did so, Ezio noticed that Ambra and Francesco were on the move, so he prompted the boy to follow him.

"All right, Severo, do you see that man in front of us?" Ezio didn't want to point, so he glared at the back of Francesco's head, hoping that the boy would catch his drift.

"The one walking with the pretty lady?" Severo asked. Ezio nodded. "Yes, I see him."

"_Bene,"_ Ezio began, "what I need you to do is distract him." He pulled a few coins from his pouch and held them so the little boy could see. "Go and steal something from him, and make sure he sees you. Then run. I want to talk to the pretty lady alone." He pulled out a few more coins to make sure the boy noticed that Ezio was willing to make this worth his while.

"But what if I get caught?" the boy asked. Ezio sighed as he pulled out a few more coins and then put them all in Severo's hand. "If anything happens to you, I will do what I can to make sure that you get out of trouble. And, if you come and find me later at _La Rosa Della Virtu _in the Dorsoduro district – do you know where that is?" Severo nodded. "Good. If you meet me there later, I will give you more."

To Severo, this seemed like quite a fair deal, and he agreed to it. Ezio watched as the boy snaked through the crowd, his eyes on his target. He sped up as well so that once Francesco was away from Ambra, he could immediately take his place. No point in wasting time, and also he didn't want to leave Ambra unaccompanied for too long. Not in this place.

Suddenly, there was a commotion. Ezio's plan was working just as he had thought it would.

"Give that back, you little street urchin!" Francesco bellowed as he saw the boy holding what appeared to be a pouch of coins. However, Severo just smiled at his victim and then ran away. Just as Ezio thought he would, Francesco set off in pursuit, and Ezio shook his head. He obviously did not know anything about where he was. Leaving his wife alone to try and catch a boy that he most likely was never going to see again was not the smartest of choices.

Luckily, Ezio was there to take care of things.

"What are you _doing_ here, _cara_?" he murmured as he grabbed her by the hand to let her know that she should remain calm. However, she still flinched at the voice, but once she realized it was Ezio, she allowed him to put his other arm around her waist a large grin spread across her face.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she answered her question with one of his own. Normally, Ezio would be charmed, but at the moment he didn't have time for games.

"I have lived here for years. I know my way around and people in this particular area know that I am not someone to be trifled with. Besides, I am fully capable of defending myself. _You, _however …" Ambra just rolled her eyes and chose to answer the question simply.

"Francesco needs to visit a business associate who lives in this district," Ambra responded. "I didn't want to spend the whole day locked up in the house waiting for you to arrive, so I begged him to let me come along. It didn't take much persuasion."

"Your husband has associates _here_?" Ezio asked, more than a little surprised. Ambra shrugged.

"I suppose," she answered. "Should he not?"

"This is the thieves' district," he answered, hoping that would be a sufficient answer. It was. Ambra was a smart girl.

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events, isn't it?" Ambra inquired. "Do you live around here?"

"I don't _live_ anywhere," Ezio responded. "There are a few places where I happen to sleep some nights."

"Sounds fun."

"It suits me," Ezio told her, but then got back to the point. "You shouldn't be here, Ambra. This is a dangerous place."

"It doesn't seem that bad," Ambra said as she looked around. It really didn't look too different than other parts of Venice, besides maybe the people seemed to be poorer. There were more beggars on the streets and a few sinister-looking characters roaming around.

"Not everything is as it seems, _dolcezza_," Ezio reminded her. "When Francesco gets back, I want you to have him take you home immediately." He wasn't sure why he was feeling so protective of her. Surely nothing horrible would happen to her in broad daylight. But at that moment, his fears were gratified.

"Who is this, Ezio?" a familiar voice asked from behind him. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly through his nose before turning around to look at Rosa, obstructing Ambra from her view. "A new friend? Is this the one who scratched your face yesterday."

At the mention of a familiar event, Ambra peered around Ezio's broad shoulders and gave her brightest smile.

"_Sí._ That was me." She was slightly surprised when she set eyes on Rosa. For one, she was wearing pants. From far away, she might have passed for a very slender boy. For another, she was extremely pretty. Without warning, Ambra felt a surge of jealousy rise within her, but she managed to keep the bright smile on her face. After all, she was the one standing in Ezio's arms.

It suddenly occurred to Ambra that Ezio had most likely had other romantic interests in the last seven years. This girl was pretty enough to interest him, she thought.

"Well, well," Rosa said as she circled the couple. "I guess that you _do_ sometimes choose better company than prostitutes. Where'd you find this one, hm?"

"You know that I am not one to reveal my secrets," Ezio responded, his eyes constantly sweeping across the scene. He knew that Francesco would eventually realize that his chase was pointless and come back for his wife. He did not want to be around when that occurred.

"Fair enough," said Rosa, "but aren't you going to introduce us?" Ezio looked down at Ambra, who was standing very still in his arms, happy to have the protection they offered.

"Very well," he sighed. "Ambra, this is Rosa, one of the first people I met when I first arrived in _Venezia_. Rosa, meet Ambra, _un'amica vecchia_."

"An old friend, hm?" Rosa asked. "Why haven't I met her before today?"

"I just recently moved to _Venezia_," Ambra answered, not enjoying the way the two of them were talking about her like she wasn't there. "Just yesterday, as a matter of fact. Ezio works quite quickly."

"Oh, I know that," Rosa responded, a coy smile on her face. "I'm hurt, Ezio. I would have thought that the arrival of such a good friend would be news to be shared."

"Some things call for delicacy, Rosa," Ezio told her. "I know that is not a term with which you are familiar." Rosa raised an eyebrow.

"No need to get upset, now," she told him. "Who was the man you had to pry her away from, though?"

"No one important," Ezio responded. Ambra followed his lead and did not admit to being married, though she made a mental note to ask him why later.

"Well, whoever it is, you'd better finish up your little rendezvous before he comes back," Rosa pointed out. "Assuming that he _does_ come back."

"Why wouldn't he?" Ambra asked.

"Do you know where you are, _piccola_?" Rosa asked condescendingly. When Ambra didn't answer, Rosa took that as an incentive to continue. "I suggest that you learn before next time you decided to venture out. A pretty girl like you should be more careful." She smiled sweetly. "As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have a few things to do. Antonio has need for me. _Ci, vediamo, bello._" And with that she brushed past the two of them, leaving Ambra staring up at Ezio expectantly.

"What?" he asked.

"Who is she?"

"I told you that her name is Rosa," Ezio responded.

"You know what I mean," Ambra growled.

"No one too important, _mia cara,_" Ezio told her as he let go of her. Rosa was right. He needed to wrap things up here. He cursed Rosa for taking up his already short time. "What is the name of the associate your husband was coming to call on?"

"Matteini," Ambra responded. "That's his last name. He wouldn't tell me his first name. I doubt that he even knew it himself."

"Matteini …" Ezio repeated. He had never heard the name before, but that didn't mean anything. There were many people in the district that he didn't know. "Do you know the nature of the visit?"

"No," Ambra answered. "Francesco doesn't really tell me much these days. He's become secretive and paranoid. I think that he's worried about fitting in here."

Now _that_ was interesting. It would have been one thing if her husband was _always_ secretive and paranoid, but Ezio was intrigued by the fact that this was a recent development. What reasons would he have for the sudden change in character? He didn't have time to probe Ambra for the answers, because he saw the man in question approaching from the direction in which he had run. Quickly, Ezio separated from Ambra.

"I'm sorry, _amore,_ I need to go," he told her with a quick kiss of her hand. "I will try to come and see you later." And with that he turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ambra standing there staring after him, her hand tingling where his lips had scorched her skin.

"Thank God you're all right," said Francesco as he finally reached his wife, putting a protective arm around her shoulders. "After a few minutes of chasing that wretched boy, I realized that I had left you and gave it up. There wasn't much money in the pouch, anyway. I'm sorry I left you here alone."

"That's all right," Ambra assured him.

"Thank you for staying put," Francesco continued as they resumed their walking, unwitting of the assassin following them. Ezio figured that the only way to figure out what they were doing there was to see for himself. He also felt more comfortable keeping Ambra in his sights, not trusting her husband to defend her should the need arise.

"Of course," Ambra murmured, unable to keep the smile off her face.

"I was worried that I was going to come back and find only your clothes," Francesco remarked. "Ah. Here we are." He opened the door to the nondescript building for his wife, ushering her inside before following her in.

When he saw that they had entered a building, Ezio immediately started looking for ways to enter it secretly. There were windows on the top story, and one of them looked like it was open. He looked for a way up and found one easily. Before entering the open window, he looked inside to make sure that no one was in the room. It was empty besides a few boxes. It was storage.

Ezio climbed in, looking to make his way downstairs, but he didn't get a chance to open the door, for he heard footsteps on the floorboards outside of the door, and a voice that sounded like Francesco's. He waited for it to pass by. Once he thought he was in the clear, he cracked the door, ready to kill anyone who might blow his cover. But luckily the small corridor was empty and Ezio walked in the direction he had heard the voices go.

There was only one other option in that direction: a door at the very end of the hallway, but when he pressed his ear against the wood, he couldn't hear a thing. Not even murmurs or intelligible mumbling. This was confusing to him. They couldn't have gone anywhere else. He was almost tempted to open the door, but in the end he decided that stealth was more important than what could potentially be nothing. If there was anything to find out, and given what Rosa had told him, he thought that there was, it was possible that Ambra could help him.

For he _was_ curious. What if Francesco had anything to do with the cargo the Templars had shipped into Venice? What if he was a Templar himself? That would be a very interesting turn. If that was the case, could he really trust Ambra?

He shook that thought out of his head. Ambra knew nothing about why she was in Venice. Ezio believed her when she said that. In his eyes she would be innocent until proven guilty. However, that didn't mean he wasn't eager to find proof. It wasn't in him to trust blindly.

Not wanting to stand there in the hallway if he wasn't going to learn anything, he decided to go and see where they left Ambra. Once he came to the stairs, the hallway opened up and he was able to see the room below him. There were two people in the room, including Ambra. It seemed to be a shop of some sort. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was weaponry that they sold here. That was mildly intriguing. He didn't know about this place, but of course he go all of his equipment from Leonardo.

Ambra was standing in the middle room at a glass case that was displaying a rather impressive sword, but only seemed mildly interested. The other person was a large, burly man, probably watching the shop while the owner was away to make sure that nothing was stolen. Ambra wasn't trying to speak to the man, but it didn't seem like he would have answered had she attempted.

Rather than reveal himself, Ezio decided that he would show himself out. There was nothing more to be learned here. A rather disappointing trip, all he had figured out was that he _needed_ to know more. Hopefully Ambra could help him with that.

)0()0()0(

"Ezio! I have not seen you in a few days!" Sister Teodora greeted Ezio as he walked into her bordello. She kissed him on both cheeks. "But I was hoping that you would arrive soon. There is a little boy here waiting for you, and says he refuses to leave until he has had an audience."

"Ah, Severo," Ezio responded, nodding. "I forgot that he would be here. Where is he?"

"You know this boy?" she asked, a grin spreading across her face.

"Oh, _Sí_," he answered. "He helped me this afternoon. He's expecting his payment."

"Help?" Teodora asked as she followed Ezio to where Severo was waiting for him. "What on Earth could you possibly need help with? From a child, no less?"

"You shouldn't seem so surprised," said Ezio. "I am only human."

"Of course," Teodora laughed. "Now tell me."

"I wanted to speak to someone alone," Ezio responded. "So I had to get her husband out of the way."

"_Il marito?"_ Teodora demanded. "You've done some silly things, Ezio, but this-"

"I suspect that her husband is associated with Templars," Ezio interrupted.

"Oh … well that changes everything. I suppose that you are trying to get some information out of her?"

"If I can," Ezio replied. "It will be difficult. He doesn't tell her much, but I'm hoping that if I can tell her what to look for, she might be able to point me in the right direction."

"Well, I know that you have no problem getting women to bend to your whims," Teodora told him. "I'm sure that this will go the same way."

"I'm not so sure about this one," Ezio responded as he saw Severo and went into his money pouch. He didn't bother counting the coins, but just grabbed a handful and handed them to the boy, who looked up at Ezio in wide-eyed wonder. It was probably more money than he had ever held in his life, more than he ever _would_ hold … that is, if he earned it. What he might steal was another matter entirely.

"Oh? And what makes you say this?" Teodora asked. She heard the girls talking frequently. All of them fought amongst each other for the privilege to … help Ezio when he came into the bordello.

"We have a bit of a history," Ezio admitted. "I knew her a long time ago."

"And what happened then?" Teodora asked, doing her best to keep the amount of interest shown to mild. Ezio very rarely talked about his past, and she only knew the essentials.

"Well, the details are not very important," Ezio began as he watched Severo leave the building. "But I _do_ care for her. I don't want to see her hurt on my account." Teodora raised an eyebrow as Ezio shrugged. "I just need to work carefully. If she feels like she's being used, she's not going to help. In fact, she'll probably tell her husband what's going on."

"It won't be as hard as you think, Ezio," Teodora assured him. "I'm sure you know the effect you have on women." She patted him on the cheek before turning around and heading towards the stairs, leaving Ezio to his thoughts. Could he bring himself to use Ambra?

Yes, if it came to it, he could. But he was hoping that he wouldn't _have_ to simply use her. If he could turn her against her husband, maybe she would be more than happy to help. Maybe she would _offer_ her help.

"Well, I have already planted the seed …" he said to himself. Now, he just had to nurture it and make it grow.


	12. Un'opportunità deriva

Thanks to everyone who submitted a review! I really really really love to read your feedback. And also, thank you to Heather, who created a beautiful banner which you can see at my profile! Enjoy!

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"So, you are familiar with our assassin," Matteo Matteini asked of Francesco as the two of them exited his office. They hadn't spoken much while inside, just in case the assassin _had_ managed to somehow follow and get in. But now that the two of them were out in the open and Auditore was nowhere in side, they felt more comfortable speaking to each other.

"I was," Francesco answered. "We knew each other a long time ago. We weren't exactly on friendly terms. He very nearly broke my jaw."

"May I ask over what?" Matteo inquired.

"My wife," Francesco responded, unable to keep the gloating smile from his face. Matteo looked impressed. "But like I said, that was a long time ago. I doubt that he still cares for her."

"Oh, you are definitely right about that," Matteo assured him. "Besides making himself a nuisance in general, his favorite activity is cavorting with prostitutes and other loose women. One woman is the same as any other to him. I don't know why they're trying to lure him out using your wife. If you ask me, it won't work."

"Yes, well, I don't really have much of a say in the matter," Francesco muttered darkly. "I'm expected to follow orders."

"Like a good little soldier." Matteo asserted. Francesco shrugged. "I know that Adamo can seem a little … pushy. But it's personal with him. The assassin killed a member of his family. He doesn't think clearly when it comes to Auditore. But I don't think you should worry. Nothing is going to happen to your charming wife, at least not on the account of the assassin."

"I'm not worried that something will happen to her," said Francesco. "But she's _mine_. He didn't even ask me for permission to use my wife as bait. He just assumed that she is at his disposal."

"Well, unless you want a problem on your hands," Matteo began as the two of them finally reached the stairs and stood there so that Ambra would not see them, "you will give him what he wants."

)0()0()0(

"She was pretty, Ezio," Rosa teased her friend as the two of them stood in Antonio's office. Ezio was beginning to get sick of the chaff he was receiving. Rosa was extremely lucky that he didn't hit women. "If a little stupid."

Rather than defend Ambra's intelligence, which he knew only would have encouraged Rosa's behavior, he shrugged calmly and spoke as if he didn't care.

"Just because you are jealous of her, Rosa, does not mean that you need to call her names," he assured her.

"Jealous? What is there to be jealous of?" Rosa inquired.

"Judging by what I heard from the others," Antonio decided to enter the conversation, "there is quite a bit to be jealous of." Rosa scowled and Ezio couldn't help but grin.

"I'm not surprised that they noticed her," he stated, "she attracts attention. I'm honestly surprised that her husband brought her here. I have trouble believing that he didn't know what he was getting into when he made the decision to bring her. If he's anything like the way I remember him, he's extremely possessive and territorial. He wouldn't do it if there wasn't a reason."

"What reason could he have?" Antonio asked.

"Maybe she is in league with the Templars as well," Rosa suggested. "You said that he came here to meet an associate. Given our suspicions, it's very possible that this associate was a Templar. Did you learn the man's name?"

"Matteini is his last name," Ezio responded. "He has a weapons shop not too far from here."

"Weapons?" Antonio asked. "That's odd. I thought that I knew about all of the weapons salesmen in the district."

"The store isn't marked," Ezio told him. "From outside it looks like little more than a place of residence. I'm sure that only a select few know what goes on inside. On the upper story, there are four rooms. I was inside one of them, which was storage. At the end of the hallway there is what I guessed was an office, but when I tried to listen in on what they were saying, I heard nothing. I don't know if they weren't talking or if the room was large enough to hold an inner office."

"What do you think they might have been speaking about?" Antonio asked. Ezio shrugged.

"Could be anything," he stated, "but my money is on the box that's sitting by itself in that warehouse by the docks."

"Speaking of which," Antonio began, "I could have a few men try to break in and steal whatever is in there. Ezio shook his head.

"I already tried to see if there was anything to be done," he explained. "There is one way in, and one way out. It's got two guards on it. And then there are at least two locks on the door that I saw. They'll need a key …" And suddenly it occurred to him that this key just might be a job for Ambra. He wasn't sure if Francesco had it, but it was worth a look.

"Where are you going?" Rosa asked as Ezio turned on his heel and headed for the door without a word.

As he opened the door, he looked back at Rosa with a wolfish grin and answered, "To see Ambra." Before he closed the door, he took particular delight in the look on Rosa's face. He wasn't exactly sure why she had taken such an instant disliking to Ambra, but it was certainly entertaining. Rosa was one of the few women who were a constant in his life, and he was pretty sure that she enjoyed that distinction.

Well, at the very least, he could keep her on her toes.

)0()0()0(

When Ezio entered Ambra's rooms, they were empty. He wasn't sure if he should stick around and wait for her or come back later. However, his decision-making process was cut short by the sound of the door opening. Quickly, just in case it wasn't Ambra walking into the room, he went to the balcony and pressed his back against the outer wall of the house.

"Francesco, please leave me be," he heard her familiar, smooth voice say exasperatedly. So she wasn't by herself, but she clearly wanted to be.

"Are you feeling unwell again?" he asked her, sounding concerned.

"Yes," she answered. "I think it might have been the heat of the day mixed with the tightness of my stays. But I have a headache."

"Here, let me help you get out of –" Francesco began, obviously genuinely concerned for the welfare of his wife.

"No, Francesco, I can do it myself," she stopped him. There were a few beats of silence in which Ezio was quite sure he could hear Francesco sigh in frustration. He knew exactly how that felt. Ambra was stubborn.

"I don't know what is wrong with you right now," he finally began, "but I don't think that I need to remind you that you are my wife, and that you belong to me. If I want you, I will have you."

"Oh, I know all about you getting what you want," Ambra snapped.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Francesco demanded immediately. Ezio couldn't see what was actually going on in the room, but he could imagine that the two of them were standing very close, probably nose to nose, glaring into each other's eyes. He knew that Ambra would not back down, and he guessed that Francesco wouldn't. Hopefully, this wouldn't turn into something he had to break up. He didn't want to reveal his presence to Ambra's husband, but if he had to, he would do it.

_Please hold your tongue, Ambra_ Ezio thought to himself. He knew where she was going with this train of thought, and he knew that it wouldn't end well for her.

"Nothing," she finally said. "Now, please leave."

"No, Ambra, tell me what you meant," Francesco demanded as he grabbed his wife by the wrist. "You've never been one to hold your tongue, you stupid wench, why would you start now?" Ambra narrowed her eyes as she jerked her wrist out of his hold.

"I don't need to answer you," she told him.

"That's what you think," he corrected her as he advanced. "Come now, Ambra, tell me what's on your mind."

"And what if I don't?" Ambra asked. "Do you plan on beating it out of me?"

"It's a thought," Francesco assured her.

"Have at it, then," Ambra suggested, causing Ezio to breathe in sharply, as she spread her arms in invitation. She was pretty sure that if Francesco actually did hit her, it wouldn't be hard. He didn't have it in him to really beat her, and she knew it. What's more, he knew that she knew it, and that made him angrier than the fact that she was keeping something from him.

"I should be offended that you think me barbaric enough to beat my wife," Francesco stated as he once again closed the space between them. "_Rilassa,_ Ambra. I am not going to hit you." Ambra, though she lowered her arms, still looked wary, and for good reason. As soon as she did so, Francesco grabbed her beneath her chin and shoved her against a wall. "Who do you think you are, little girl?" Of course, the force on her trachea made it difficult for her to answer, but he wasn't really looking for one. "Your insubordination is unacceptable. You will remember whom you are speaking to when you open your mouth in my presence. _Capisce?_"

Ambra could only nod enthusiastically. She wasn't too stubborn to realize when she should stand down.

"Good," Francesco murmured as he kissed his wife deeply, leaving no part of her mouth unviolated. Only when he was done with her did he let go of her neck. The gasp of air that ensued caused every muscle in Ezio's body to tense. He was about three seconds from hanging the consequences, barging in there, and breaking all of Francesco's fingers. But he was stopped when Francesco spoke once more.

"Feel better, _amore mia_," he bid her farewell and walked towards the door, slamming it closed behind him. As soon as he heard the door close, Ezio stormed the room, forgetting that Ambra didn't know he was there. She jumped almost a foot in the air when she saw him, and even let out a small scream. But she quickly covered her mouth.

"Don't _scare_ me like that, Ezio!" she hissed as she rushed over to the door and locked it, leaning against the wood once she had done so. "What are you doing here?" Ezio ignored the question and advanced upon Ambra, putting his hand beneath her chin so that he could lift her face and examine her neck, which was already starting to bruise. He stared at her in silence for a moment. Ambra could see the muscles of his neck moving as he swallowed a few times, could hear the calm, measured breaths moving in and out of his nose. His lips were pursed tightly together, and it was obvious that he was trying to control his temper.

He let go of Ambra and turned his back on her, walking over to the window, bracing his hands against the frame. Ambra stared at his back as he stood there, arms spread like wings, his head hanging down. Rather than stand there and watch him try and control himself, Ambra decided she would try to help. She approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his broad, strong back.

"I'm fine," she told him. _"__Finché mi starai vicino, io starò bene."_

Ezio didn't really trust himself to speak just yet, but he turned around and took her hands away from his body, kissing her palms as he did so.

"I'll kill him," he finally croaked as he put his hands back to her neck, lightly grazing the large, hand-shaped bruise that spread across the front of her thin, long neck. Her skin was pale enough that the bruise made a stark contrast. "It would be very easy. I could do it now." Ezio didn't even know what he was saying. Seeing her hurt erased all of his judgment and he was just filled with the urge to wrap his own hands around Francesco's filthy neck and squeeze the life out of him.

"Not a good idea," Ambra said, trying to keep her tone light. "What would happen to me, then?"

"I'd take care of you," he told her as he lowered his lips to her neck and kissed it once. "You probably wouldn't live the same as you do now, but you wouldn't have a husband who beats you."

"Francesco doesn't _beat_ me," Ambra assured Ezio. "This is a rare occurrence."

"It _shouldn't_ happen at all," Ezio asserted. "He is a poor excuse for a man, and I can't wait to find out what he's doing and what his role is in all of this so that I can kill him and be done with it."

"Role in all of what?" Ambra asked.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, _dolcezza_," Ezio responded as his hands moved from her neck down to her waist.

"You may not, but I do," she stopped him and slipped away. Ezio leaned his forehead against the door and sighed. He probably should have kept his mouth closed. Now he was going to have to tell her.

"Look, Ambra, at this point, this is all speculation," he began.

"Should be interesting, then," she said with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Sit down, _cara_," Ezio suggested. Ambra raised an eyebrow and considered declining the offer, but in the end she decided if doing what he said would make this process faster, she would listen to him. She sat down on the couch in the center of the room and looked up at him expectantly. He looked much taller and more imposing from this angle.

"Do you remember when I told you about the Templars killing my brothers and father?" he asked her. It was a long time ago, and he wasn't expecting an affirmative answer, but she nodded in response. "Well, to put it shortly, I have reason to believe that Francesco is in league with them."

"You think my husband is a Templar?" Ambra repeated, sounding incredulous.

"Is that not what I just said?" Ezio asked, frustrated.

"_Ridicolo."_

"I think that if you are quiet and let me explain, _cara mia_, you will find that it is not," Ezio said slowly, once again having to exercise control over himself. Ambra narrowed her eyes at his patronizing tone, but looked at him expectantly.

"The ship that brought you to _Venezia_," he began, "was carrying a certain piece of cargo that the Templars are paying very grandly to protect-"

"And that's your only reason?" Ambra interrupted.

"Stop interrupting!" Ezio ordered, just barely remembering that he needed to keep his voice down.

"I'm not listening to this, Ezio," Ambra informed him. "It's completely absurd." Ezio sighed as he massaged his temples with the thumb and middle finger of his right hand. He could almost sympathize with Francesco; he wouldn't have minded giving her a little smack right then. Instead, he walked over to where he was sitting and crouched in front of her, taking her hand as he did so.

"I know this may be hard for you to believe, _cara_," he began, "but I have pretty good instincts, and I'm _very_ good at what I do. I do not make these accusations lightly." Ambra still looked dubious as Ezio stared at her, waiting for some sort of response. Not knowing what to say, instead she leaned forward and kissed him lightly.

"Can we not talk about Francesco?" she asked. "I get enough of him." Ezio smiled as he cupped the side of her face with his free hand.

"We can talk about whatever you like, _cara_," he told her, deciding that it was best not to push. He had a very strong potential ally in Ambra and the last thing he wanted was to push her away. "How are you enjoying _Venezia_ so far?"

"Well, I haven't seen much," Ambra reminded him. "But what I have seen, I like! I had my first brush with the aristocracy last night, and I wouldn't be too upset if I didn't do it again any time soon."

"You had dinner guests, then?" Ezio asked. "Who?"

"Ehm … Adamo Grimaldi and his wife Elettra. She was awful. All she did was glare at me the entire evening."

"Grimaldi?" Ezio repeated, cocking his head to the side. Ambra nodded.

"Yes … you know them?"

"I know someone of that name," Ezio responded. "Or rather I _knew_ someone of that name. I killed him. He was a Templar." Ambra's eyes widened in shock. "If the two of them were related, would you believe me, then?"

"I suppose that I would have better reason to," Ambra replied, shrugging as she pulled Ezio onto the couch with her. Unbalanced, he put his hands down on either side of her, bringing their faces close together. Ambra leaned back, continuing to drag Ezio with her.

"Your husband doesn't have a key to that door, does he?" Ezio asked.

"As far as I know, he doesn't," she answered, "but yesterday he threatened to have one made. Or take mine. Or remove the lock completely."

"Very controlling, I see," Ezio observed as he kissed her neck. "Not that I am surprised."

"I'm sure he's no different than any other man," Ambra observed. "I would have faced the same thing no matter who I married." Ezio just shrugged. He knew where she was going with this and he wasn't about to encourage it. "But like I said, I would rather not talk about my husband right now. Or ever. Not when you are here."

Unfortunately, Ambra's husband was a very prominent issue in Ezio's mind. But for her he could be patient. She offered a suitable diversion from his thoughts. More than suitable, in fact. Ambra filled his senses completely. When those lips touched his, it was nearly impossible to think about anything else. It was as if he was holding a living flame in his arms, and the smallest lapse of concentration would cause him to be completely consumed by it.

Ezio was surprised when he felt fingers working at the straps that held a few of his weapons on. She wanted them gone, which wasn't surprising. He was used to the feeling of steel against his skin. Ambra was most likely not so familiar with the sensation, or as comfortable with it.

"Stand up," she whispered, and Ezio obliged without a word. First, she removed his cape so that she could see everything more easily. She started with the bracers on his arm, handling them carefully as Ezio gave her instructions on removing them. After that, she moved on to the belts that held his throwing knives and other various blades. Those were much easier. After a minute or so, he was standing before her completely without weapons. It felt a little strange. He, usually only removed them before going to sleep, and never in a place where he wasn't completely sure about the safety of doing so.

Then, Ambra's hands found themselves at the bottom of Ezio's shirt, pulling upwards. Because of the difference in their height, he had to help her, but soon he was naked from the waist up, and Ambra circled around him, tracing all of his scars with a touch as light as a butterfly lighting on a branch. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Ambra stopped at a particularly large bruise right in the center of his back.

"What happened here?" she asked as she lightly touched the black and blue splotch.

"A small mishap," he answered, "I was swinging from a building and I miscalculated my timing. Missed my mark and kept going, slammed into a window ledge. I almost fell, but managed to hold on." Ambra _tsked_ as she moved on. His back, despite the marks and scars, was quite a work of art. Muscles wrapped intricately around bone to create graceful curves emanating from his strong, erect spine. She splayed her palms across his strong shoulders. Ezio stood there silently as she made her inspection, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and measured. More women than he could count had touched him before, but never before had it felt this intimate. Never before had he not wanted to turn around and touch back He was perfectly happy to just stand there and let her explore him.

His arms were covered in an intricate web of scarred skin, stretching and relaxing as his muscles eased beneath her touch.

"You've been through it, haven't you?" she murmured, her fingers tracing the more prominent tracks.

"It hasn't been an easy seven years," he informed her as she finally reached his front, still entranced by the flaws on his skin. There were what seemed to be multiple stab wounds on his torso.

"I hope that you had someone to take care of you …" she trailed off. Without warning, Ezio swept her into his arms, lifting her off the floor as his lips crashed onto hers. Never before had he held onto someone so tightly.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Ambra," Francesco's voice came from the other side, "open the door." Ambra and Ezio both froze, but Ezio quickly recovered and threw his shirt on, going to the pile of his weapons and putting them on as quietly as he could.

When the door wasn't answered, Francesco knocked harder. _"Aprire la porta, Ambra!"_ he demanded. Ambra chose to keep her mouth closed. If she told him to wait, he would only get suspicious. Best to let him think she was angry or upset.

"Hurry, Ezio," she hissed as she picked up his cape for him and helped him put it on.

"Should I stay close?" he asked as he stared warily at the door. He had already laid his hands on her once; he saw no reason why he wouldn't do so again. Ambra shook her head, though.

"I will be fine," she assured him as she stood on her toes and kissed him deeply. "Go." Ezio looked at her for a moment before walking over to the window. He stood on the balcony and jumped up. Ambra stared at him until his feet were out of sight. Then, she turned, working up some tears as she walked over to the door, slowly unlocking it. When she finally opened the door, her eyes were, like her neck, red. Francesco's angry countenance immediately softened when he set eyes on his wife.

"Ambra, I'm –"

"If you're only here to apologize, I'm really not interested," Ambra cut him off. Not only was she angry that he had laid hands on her, but he then cut short Ezio's visit.

"Still so defiant," Francesco said incredulously, shaking his head.

"Yes, well, I'm not afraid of you," Ambra reminded him. "So please say what you need to say."

"What did I tell you about locking this door?" Francesco ignored the order.

"You know, I can't remember," Ambra suggested as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Care to remind me?"

"You're treading on dangerous grounds, my love," Francesco warned. Ambra just raised one eyebrow. If he hit her again, obviously there wouldn't be much she could do to him. Her only weapon was bold defiance, and she would continue with it.

"Is that what you came here to tell me?" she asked.

"No," Francesco answered. "I came here to apologize to you, but now I'm not so sure that you deserve it."

"Better leave, then," Ambra suggested as she tried to close the door in his face, but he got in the way.

"Why are you acting so strangely?" Francesco asked, showing genuine desire to know what the problem was. Ambra had never been like this, even when they first got married. He had expected a lot of problems from her then, but she was quite the angel. This behavior was truly baffling him.

"Why am I acting so strangely?" Ambra asked. "You just had your hands around my neck and you're asking me why I am acting so strangely? What is wrong with _you?_ You've been acting _strangely_ ever since we got here. Why don't you tell me what is going on?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you," Francesco stated.

"Then you are not going to get any answers," Ambra replied. "Now, please leave me alone, Francesco. I don't want to be near you right now." Instead of honoring his wife's request, he put a hand beneath her chin and lifted her face so that he could inspect the work he had done.

"Looks painful," he remarked.

"_Ti odio,"_ she told him, her voice wavering.

"No you don't, _cara_," he assured her as he locked her in an embrace. He was genuinely troubled that he upset her like this. This was one of the times that he wished that he had kept his temper under control. "Listen, I _am_ sorry."

"Of course you are," Ambra responded into his chest. She had not lifted her arms to embrace him in return.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked.

"No," she answered.

"Well, what I can I do to make you forgive me?" he asked her.

"You can leave me alone for a little bit, Francesco," she suggested as she dislodged herself from his arms. "We aren't having guests for dinner, are we?"

"No," Francesco answered, and Ambra breathed a premature sigh of relief. "We're going to the Grimaldis' for dinner."

"Wonderful," Ambra sighed sarcastically.

"You don't like them?" Francesco asked.

"It doesn't matter," Ambra answered as she retreated back into her rooms. "I'll be ready by the time we need to leave." And with that she closed the door. But this time she didn't lock it. There had been enough drama for one day, and she knew there was more to come. However, she was looking forward to this dinner. After all, if Adamo was who Ezio thought he was, a chance for her to help her lover had just presented itself.

Ambra never wasted an opportunity.

-----

Translations:

Finché mi starai vicino, io starò bene: As long as you are near me, I will be fine

Ridicolo: Ridicuous

Aprire la porta: Open the door

Ti odio: I hate you


	13. Inviolato ed intatto

"I like that dress," Francesco told his wife as she walked down the large staircase that led into the reception hall of their palazzo. Ambra was wearing a dress dyed in very deep indigo, with a plunging neckline that afforded a magnificent view of her cleavage. He figured that most men would not want their wives wearing something like this, would not want their wives under the scrutiny of every other man she encountered. However, Francesco was a proud sort, and wanted every man to see what he had.

Besides, he was hoping it would distract people from her red-gold hair, which was flowing loosely around her shoulders. Bored with the way she always wore her hair, she had decided to work two small braids in. They started at the front and parted in the middle, wrapping around her head and meeting each other in the back, where she had pinned them so they would stay, as the rest of her hair was loose. The style was outdated, but the simplicity suited her. She couldn't do anything too outrageous to hair that color.

"Of course you do," Ambra murmured as she brushed past him and headed for the door that led to the street and not the canal. There was a carriage waiting there for them, and Ambra climbed in with no help from her husband or the footman. She was not in a good mood and did not want to be touched. "You picked it out, after all."

"I must compliment myself on my good taste," Francesco said as he climbed in after her, allowing the footman to close the door behind him.

"If this is what the evening is going to be like, I'm afraid that I am ill and need to stay home," Ambra told him, in a monotone voice as she stared out the window, though she didn't really want to. She doubted that Ezio would be back that day, so there was no point in waiting around for him.

"Please spare me the drama, Ambra," Francesco pleaded, sounding bored. It was rather obvious that she was still angry with him. However, there was apparently nothing he could do about that, she he wasn't even going to try. Hopefully she could find some form of diversion at this dinner party. There would be many people there, and many women. He hoped that she might be able to make a friend. He wasn't going to be able to spend all of his time at home looking after her and entertaining her. "Whining is never attractive."

Francesco knew that he was not doing anything to help the tension between himself and his wife, but it wasn't in him to back down. He had already apologized; there wasn't much else he could do.

He turned his head to look at her neck. It looked quite normal.

She had tried to leave the house without covering her bruise. It took a lot of persuasion, but Francesco had finally convinced her that it probably would not have been in the best interests for her of them to go like that. The women would just think that she was a defiant child who needed to be beaten regularly, and everyone would feel sorry for him for having to put up with such a troublesome wife.

The last thing that Ambra wanted to do was help Francesco look any better.

"You should really consider a change in attitude before we arrive," Francesco suggested as he inspected his fingernails for dirt. "Don't want everyone to think-"

"I don't _care_ what your friends think, Francesco," Ambra interrupted.

"Well, I do," Francesco reminded her, "and if I am not happy, I am almost positive that you won't be happy, either." Ambra sighed. There was no winning against him. He had complete control over her life. She supposed that it had always been this way, but it hadn't started to become a real problem for her until recently. "So, behave yourself, Ambra. Otherwise it is going to be a very long night."

Ambra just nodded as she bit her lip. She was so frustrated that she could cry. However, at the moment that would have been unacceptable. Her makeup would run. Everyone would know that she had been crying. All she had was the appearance of her strength, and she wasn't going to let him take one of the only things she had to protect herself.

The rest of the ride to the _Palazzo Grimaldi_ was silent. Ambra spent the time preparing herself mentally, and Francesco spent his time preparing himself physically. He checked over every aspect of his appearance at least four times before the carriage finally stopped and they were let out.

The first thing Ambra noticed was that this building was even more opulent than her own home. Columns and statues greeted visitors, promising an even more pleasing image once they crossed the threshold to the palace.

"Perhaps you should close your mouth, Ambra," Francesco suggested, referring to his wife's dropped jaw. "You look ridiculous." Ambra closed her mouth without retort as they came to the door, which was opened for them by a liveried man, displaying an elaborate entrance hall fit for royalty. Everything was gold and marble, and it was as if they had just passed beyond the pearly gates of heaven. Ambra did her best to seem unfazed by all of it, but it was difficult to keep herself from staring upwards.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked Adamo Grimaldi by way of greeting as he approached Ambra and her husband. "We just had it done. Cost nearly two thousand _lire_." Ambra, having been accustomed to Florins back at home, had no idea about exactly how much that was, but it _sounded_ like a lot.

When Ambra finally managed to pull her eyes down from the ceiling, she noticed that she and Francesco were among the last guests to arrive. There were already many ladies dressed in bright colors. They looked – and sounded – a bit like birds; flitting around, chattering in high-pitched voices. Immediately her stomach dropped. She had no idea how to relate to these people.

"Why don't you join the women, _Signora_ De Luca?" Adamo suggested as he put a hand at the small of Ambra's back and gave her a gentle push in the direction of the other women. "They have been anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"I'm sure they have," said Ambra, knowing exactly why they were waiting. All of them were excited to meet the new meat. Anticipating a torturous evening, Ambra trudged over one of the groups of women, a bright smile plastered across her face. Under no circumstances would she let on that she was anything less than ecstatic.

"_Buona sera_,_" _a woman who seemed to be about Ambra's age was the first to greet her, and did seem genuinely pleased to see her. Ambra relaxed slightly in response to her kindness as her eyes swept over the new acquaintance. She was very small with chestnut brown hair and eyes a similar green to Ambra's. She, like Ambra, was wearing a very revealing dress, only hers was a deep pink, offering a very stark contrast to her dark, smoldering features.

"_Buona sera,"_ Ambra greeted in return, looking to Elettra for an introduction. She begrudgingly obliged.

"Ambra, darling," she greeted with a saccharine smile, "this is Giada. Giada Rialto. She is also new to _Venezia. _She came to us from _Milano_."

"Oh, thank God I am not the only new one," Giada said enthusiastically. Her smile soothed Ambra immensely. "These women make you feel so inadequate, don't they? Well, I know they make _me_ feel that way … and I'm from _Milano!_ And it's equally as important and busy as _Venezia_. I can only imagine how you must feel … coming from so far away."

Ambra raised her eyebrows as Giada prattled on. If it were anyone else, she might have been annoyed, but Giada seemed so innocent and kind. Obviously, she was just prone to talking a lot. As she spoke, Ambra wondered how Giada knew where she was from, but then figured that people must have been talking about her. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

Snapped out of her reverie by a pause in Giada's cadence, Ambra blinked. By the way Giada was looking at her, she assumed that some sort of question had been posed. Having no idea how to answer something she hadn't heard, Ambra just grinned. At this point, she realized that Elettra was gone, and now it was just her and Giada.

Giada took Ambra's silence as a sign to continue.

"Such a strange color for hair," she mused as she reached out and touched Ambra's locks, mesmerized by the way they cascaded over her shoulders. "You were born like this?"

"It used to be a little lighter," Ambra answered the question, a little taken aback by Giada's direct approach. She wasn't used to people speaking so plainly, but it was quite refreshing. "More blonde, but it darkened as I got older."

"Hmmm …" Giada trailed off. "Well I like it. Between you and me, Elettra thinks it's very strange, and has convinced all the other ladies to be of the same opinion. But I think it's beautiful."

"_Grazie,"_ Ambra answered slowly, still unsure about what to make of this new girl. Her frank openness was both a comfort and a bit abrasive. It _was_ nice to know what the other ladies thought, though. For that reason, Ambra decided that she would keep Giada close. After all, there was safety in numbers, and Ambra doubted that she was going to receive any sort of support from the Venetian aristocracy. Looking around, she noticed that she was the subject of quite a few stares. "Have you met all the ladies present?"

"Multiple times," Giada answered, making it sound like she wished that wasn't so. "They're all extremely interested in themselves, but they don't do anything, so they talk about themselves and it puts me to sleep. I mostly try to avoid them, but my fiancé dragged me here."

"I'm in a similar situation," Ambra responded, her eyes sweeping the room and landing on Francesco. "My husband is extremely preoccupied with gaining favor of the aristocrats for some reason."

"Men," Giada sniffed derisively, causing Ambra to chuckle. She could tell that she was going to like this girl.

)0()0()0(

"Matteo tells me that you met with him," Francesco murmured as he absently sipped on a glass of wine in his study. Dinner had been over for quite some time, and now he and the men were relaxing.

"Yes, I went there, like you asked," Francesco told him. "Though I did not see Auditore. I don't think that Ambra did either. I did not leave her alone for very long he wouldn't have had much of a chance to approach her."

"You wouldn't see him," Adamo assured him. "He's impossible to detect until he's right on top of you, his blade sticking into your gut. He's a dangerous man." Francesco nodded. "No, it will be impossible to know whether he saw you or not. This is why we have started to circulate a rumor that you are … more important than you are."

"What do you mean by that?" Francesco demanded, feeling his blood pressure beginning to rise.

"Auditore is very good at collecting information," Adamo explained. "He will get wind that you are an important official amongst the Templars, and he will seek you out. For this reason, we are going to offer you some bodyguards. We don't want you ending up dead."

"Oh … thank you …" Francesco answered weakly, amazed at how quickly his life was spinning out of his control. "No one thought to ask me about this."

"We were sure that you wouldn't mind," Adamo answered, waving a hand in dismissal.

"Since you all have taken such liberties with my personal life," Francesco began, unwilling to take all of this lying down, "surely you can answer a few questions for me."

"Perhaps I can," Adamo answered, looking interested.

"What's in the warehouse I'm renting for you?" Francesco demanded. Adamo just smiled.

"Nothing," he answered.

"Nothing?" Francesco repeated. "What do you mean, nothing?"

"There is an empty box," Adamo answered, "and that is all." By the look of his face, Adamo could tell that Francesco was highly confused. "All right, I'll let you in on a little something."

"By all means," Francesco replied.

"Before you came here, we knew that you had history with Auditore," he explained. "We brought you here because we need a way to bring him down. We have tried using brute force, and that has never worked."

"So you decided to bring me here and use my wife as bait …" Francesco trailed off.

"_Precise!"_ Adamo responded. "I'm glad that you understand."

"I understand," Francesco agreed, "but that doesn't mean that I am happy about it."

"Your happiness was not really taken into account when we formulated this plan," Adamo told him. "Think of it as you working towards the greater good. Auditore goes on a wild goose chase trying to figure out what we're doing, he gets drawn into a vulnerable position, we kill him."

"And this is really the only reason I'm here?" Francesco asked.

"You're the only person for the position," Adamo assured him, knowing exactly how to handle a man like Francesco. He needed to feel important. "No one else has leverage over Auditore."

"We don't even know if it's really leverage," Francesco reminded Adamo. "He might no longer have any feelings for my wife."

"Given the history we have been told," Adamo began, "he will enjoy the chance."

"Who told you anything about my history?" Francesco demanded.

"That's none of your concern," Adamo assured him. "Just rest assured that we know." There was silence for a few moments, during which Francesco could not come up with anything to say. Luckily, Adamo spoke again. "I hope that these are the last of your complaints. They're beginning to bore me."

)0()0()0(

Adamo was not the only one who was bored. Though Giada had offered Ambra some entertainment after dinner, she was too social to only stick to one person, and was soon flitting about making small talk with all of the ladies. Ambra, not really being in the mood for such things, decided that she would explore the house, and found herself walking alone through the grand corridors.

It was on this turn about the house when Ambra, chancing to look out a window, saw a familiar face. Or at least she thought she had. The woman she had seen Ezio with earlier that morning was standing outside of the _palazzo_. She was by herself, and seemed to be walking with a purpose. Without even thinking about it, Ambra climbed through the window, which was rather large, almost reaching the floor, and set off after Rosa.

Ambra had not acted this impulsively in quite some time, and she delighted in the adrenaline that started coursing through her veins. She had no idea where she was going, and no idea how she would get back, but she would worry about that when she came to it. And who knew, maybe this woman would lead her to Ezio.

Keeping her distance, Ambra stayed only as close as necessary to see when Rosa made a turn. She hoped that the woman did not have Ezio's affinity for running along the rooftops. If she did, it was obvious that Ambra would not able to follow her.

As it was, Rosa kept both feet firmly on the ground, strolling calmly through the city as if she was just taking a turn, enjoying the evening, which was quite warm. Ambra could feel small rivulets of sweat running down the small of her back and hoped that it wouldn't show through the fabric. She was definitely not dressed for walking at this pace and she wished that she could call ahead to Rosa and ask her to wait. But obviously that was not an option.

Realizing that she was getting farther and farther into the less affluent parts of the city, Ambra became more and more wary. She had heard the warnings given by both Francesco and Ezio. This was not somewhere she wanted to venture alone. However, Ambra wasn't in the mood for following orders. She smiled at the thought of what Francesco would do when he realized that she was gone. The thought of what he would do when she returned home was a little more sobering, but that was another thing she would deal with when she got to it. There was no use in worrying about it now, when the first thing on her mind should be paying attention to her surroundings. And to Rosa, of course.

It was difficult to keep her target in her sights, seeing ass he was still dressed as a man. Ambra found herself a little envious. She had only worn pants a few times before and found it an extremely liberating experience to be able to move so freely. However, they were obviously unacceptable.

The sun had finally disappeared behind the tall buildings, casting ominous shadows on the cobbled paths that led through the city. For a brief moment, Ambra wondered if she should turn back. Maybe she had been foolish, but she wasn't given much chance to consider this, as she was suddenly overcome by the feeling of being watched.

She had no money with her, so if anyone approached her and demanded some, she wasn't going to be able to do anything to persuade them to leave her alone. There was necklace she was wearing around her neck, which she realized that she probably should have removed before venturing this far. Too late now. And besides, it was easy to tell by her dress that she had money.

Well, if she had to use her jewelry to barter for her life, so be it.

The feeling of being watched was now accompanied by footsteps and murmurs. Ambra kept her eyes forward, hoping that if she ignored the problem, it would go away. But there was no such luck. A hand on hers startled her and broke her concentration. She jumped and turned to see a man far larger than she was leering down at her, a malicious glint to his eye.

"Now, _madonna_, what is a lady like you walking around by herself in this part of the city?" he asked of her as his friends slithered out of cracks and alleys like insects.

"I've come to meet a friend," she answered, refusing to show any more signs of fear than she already had. "But it appears that I'm lost. Perhaps you can show me the way." She hoped that the implication that she knew someone in the area would keep them from hurting or robbing her.

"Maybe we _can_ help you," the man agreed. "Tell me who your friend is."

Ambra wasn't sure if dropping Ezio's name would help or hurt her cause, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Ezio Auditore," she said, her chin held high as she did so, hoping to convey confidence instead of the uncertainty that was causing her hands to shake.

"Ezio Auditore?" he repeated. "And how do you know him?"

"She doesn't know him," one of the man's accomplices blurted as he approached as well. "She has seen the posters around the city and is only using her name to see if we will leave her alone." This second man was much thinner than the other, but only a little bit taller and looked _much_ meaner. A large, sharp knife was holstered at his hip, glinting in a stray beam of sun as the sunset peaked through the buildings.

"I'm inclined to agree with my friend, _madonna,_" said the first man, who still had a firm grip on Ambra's hand. "I know Ezio Auditore, and he would have told me if he was acquainted with such a fine specimen." His hand rose to Ambra's hair, and she almost cringed as she watched the filthy thing finger the very ends of it. "Around here, we share women, you know?"

"Do I look like something that anyone would want to share?" Ambra inquired, amazed that her bravado had not failed her yet. All of the men present, Ambra counted four besides the one that was holding her, laughed raucously at this.

"The only thing that I can tell by looking at you, _madonna_, is that you are expensive." His hand moved up her arm and took a firm grip of her bicep as he started dragging her away. "Far more expensive than I can afford. But you made the mistake of traveling here without your _foruncolo_. My friends and I are lucky. We'll get to sample the wares for free."

Ambra's stomach dropped as she stumbled forward. His legs were much longer than hers, and she had to practically jog to keep up with him.

"What do you mean by that, sir?" she asked, even though she was pretty sure that she had an idea of what he was talking about.

"Oh, I'm sure that you know exactly what I mean by that."

"I think that there is a misunderstanding," Ambra said quickly.

"What is there to misunderstand?" her captor inquired. Everything Ambra said for the next few minutes was treated in this fashion. There was nothing she could do to convince these men that she wasn't, in fact, a prostitute, and she _did_ really know Ezio.

After dragging her through the streets of the Dursoduro district, they finally came to what appeared to be an inn. Inside, there were a number of men drinking at the bar or at the tables. Some with garish-looking women propped on their laps, shoving their bare breasts in their faces, drinking from their cups of ale. The smell, a mixture of sweat, cheap perfume, and alcohol, was enough to make Ambra want to vomit, but she wasn't given much time to focus on that urge, as she was dragged through the room and thrown onto a chair.

"Keep her here," said the man who had dragged her there. "I'll go and get us something to drink."

)0()0()0(

Meanwhile, only a few buildings down from where Ambra was being held against her well, Ezio was standing in the main room of Teodora's bordello. This being the second time Ezio had visited her in such a short period, she was in a rather good mood.

"Can I interest you in something, Ezio?" she asked of him.

"Only a bed for the night," he answered.

"Retiring so early?" Teodora asked. "You're sure that you don't want me to send a girl up to tend to your needs?"

"Perhaps I might," Ezio replied, "but for the moment …" the door opened and in walked Rosa, which was strange. She didn't normally venture into the brothel. Ezio raised an eyebrow as Rosa walked towards him.

"_Buona sera_,_"_ she greeted, but Ezio did not say anything in response. Rosa knew that he was expecting something from her, seeing as she never came here, and she decided to just spit it out. She had realized that Ambra was following her, and when she noticed that the girl was gone, she decided that it was best to not waste time. Just because she was ignorant didn't mean that she deserved to be raped, as far as Rosa was concerned. However, she wasn't about to go on any rescue missions herself, and she knew that some nights Ezio stayed in this particular establishment. "Your little friend followed me from a party."

"My little friend?" Ezio inquired.

"Oh, I'm sure you know her," Rosa continued. "Red hair, green eyes, freckles … really rather strange-looking, if you ask me."

"You saw Ambra _here?_" he demanded. "Was she with her husband?"

"No. She was alone," Rosa replied. "I think she was curious. I _also_ think that she believed I didn't know she was following me. Silly girl. Honestly, Ezio."

"And you _let_ her follow you here?"

"She's a grown woman. Far be it from me to stop her from doing what she wants to," Rosa responded with a shrug. "I was going to let it go, but then I realized that she was no longer behind me. I don't want a death on my hands, so I thought I should warn you that she _might_ not be safe. Of course, it's possible that she returned home …"

"_Merda," _Ezio muttered as he brushed past both Rosa and Teodora. Stupid girl. He warned her time and time again that this area of the city wasn't safe. She was too stubborn for her own good. When he got his hand on her, he would give her a good shaking to see if he could force some sense into her. But for now, the priority was finding her. Maybe she _had_ turned around and gone home when she realized that it was getting dark.

Knowing Ambra, the chances of that were slim, so he didn't want to waste time going all the way to her _palazzo_ when she was most likely somewhere within the district. He hated to jump to conclusions, but in this case it was better to be safe than sorry. If she was at home, no harm would come to her and there was no point in checking there.

"If I were going to rape and murder a helpless woman," he thought out loud to himself, "where would I do it?" Of course, there were multiple inns around the area where the local thieves frequently brought their prostitutes. They were cheap and got the job done. Then of course, there were the countless alleyways and dark corners where no one would bother looking twice should they see a couple seemingly too overcome with amorousness to take it inside.

His eyes swept the scenery as he kept his ears open for any sounds of distress, but all he could hear were the cheers and shouts coming from the inns, all of which had bars on the first level.

"No stone unturned …" Ezio trailed off as he tried the first inn he saw. When he walked inside, he noticed that this was not one of the places that were producing all the noise. In fact, the room was almost empty. That wouldn't last for long. Night was beginning to fall. However, this was convenient for Ezio, as it was easy to spot the proprietor.

The man looked up at Ezio and immediately recognized him. He stopped what he was doing and leaned against the bar as Ezio approached, his hood obscuring his eyes, making him look particularly dangerous.

"I'm looking for a girl," he told him.

"None of those in here, yet," he answered. "They don't usually start coming until-" But Ezio didn't wait to hear what the man said. Not trusting him to tell the truth, he turned towards the stairs and took them by two, deciding that he would search all of the rooms himself, just to be sure.

The doors were all relatively easy to open. Of course, not much could withstand the force of Ezio barreling into it. Once he had knocked all of the doors in, he realized that the owner was indeed telling the truth. All of the rooms were empty.

"_Grazie,"_ Ezio murmured as he walked past the bar on his way out, dropping a handful of coins onto it for the man's troubles, not staying to apologize. There wasn't time. There were too many places to search.

)0()0()0()0(

Ambra had been trying to focus on making herself as small as possible for the past hour, hoping that if she didn't draw attention to herself, the men would forget that she was there. But she had no such luck. Every few minutes, one of them would look at her and grab her around the waist, either planting his mouth on her neck or on her lips. Ambra resisted all she could, but she didn't really have the strength to push them away, and as the evening wore on and the men got drunker, they got stronger, meaner, and hungrier as well.

_I should have stayed where I was_ … Ambra thought to herself as beer spilled all over the front of her dress. The man who spilled it lowered his mouth to her chest and started to lick the beverage off of her skin. Ambra shoved the man away. He was drunk, so he stumbled and crashed into a nearby table, where a brawl ensued. Think that she might use this as he chance to escape, she stood up and started walking.

It was working. She was almost at the door. She could almost _taste_ her freedom. But the experience was short-lived. Right as she put her hand on the doorknob, an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back. It was her original abductor, only now he smelled a lot worse.

"Come, _bella_," he urged as he dragged her towards the stairs, "tonight you'll learn how a real man handles a woman."

"I'm sure that a real man would not have to force a woman to have sex with him against her will," Ambra spat, always defiant. "But you're welcome to make an attempt." This brash statement did not please her captor, and responded with pulling her by her hair, dragging her up the steps.

"Someone needs to teach you a few manners," he grunted as he shoved her through an open door onto a grungy bed.

"And I suppose that you think you're going to be the one to do it," Ambra remarked as she got against the headboard and brought her knees up to her chin. If she was going to be raped, she wasn't going to make it easy for him. He was drunk, and Ambra had full use of all of her senses. Hopefully she might get lucky and make an escape. Maybe if she screamed loud enough, someone would hear her.

"I don't think, I know," he growled as he got on the bed as well, causing Ambra to shrink against the wall a little more. He reached for her and she kicked out, managing to catch him in the face before he grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her forward. His nose started to bleed, dripping blood onto Ambra's dress.

"Don't do that again," he ordered, now almost all the way on top of Ambra. He pinned her beneath him, and Ambra managed to get enough room to slap him across the face before he pinned her arms over her head as well. "You're making this very difficult for yourself." Instead of responding, Ambra spat in his eyes. The man flinched, but otherwise didn't let go. He stared directly into her eyes, blood falling from his face to hers, causing her to blink.

She was running out of options, so she filled her lungs with air and screamed as loudly as she could directly into the man's ear. To silence her, he covered her mouth with his, and then started to work on her clothing, ripping at the fabric of her dress, exposing the stays beneath.

Unable to get enough room to really do anything worthwhile, Ambra still struggled against him, hoping that she might be able to wiggle something free get a shot at him, but she was having no luck. Drunk he may be, but he was also far stronger and much bigger than she was.

"No point in fighting," he grunted as he rucked her skirts up while simultaneously unbuttoning his pants. Obviously he had some practice at this, and now Ambra was starting to really feel the appropriate dread.

"Please …" she pleaded, trying to keep tears from coming to her eyes.

"Takes some work to get _you_ properly submissive, doesn't it?" he demanded. "Now shut up. This won't take long, and if you're quiet I won't hurt you … let's see if your hair is the same color lower down." Ambra weighed the advantages of following his orders when suddenly the weight was lifted off of her. When she looked, her attacker was suspended in the air by a figure in white.

)0()0()0(

Ezio was beginning to think that she really _had_ gone home. He had searched most of the inns and hadn't found her. Of course, there was the chance that, if she had been abducted, whoever had done it had taken her somewhere a little more private … but most of the men who would take a woman didn't have permanent homes to go to.

He was close to returning to Sister Teodora's bordello. In fact, he could spot it from his position in the street.

"_Ragazza stupida …"_ he trailed off, hoping that she was safe when he heard a scream coming from a second story window of a building about forty paces away from him. Without thinking, he picked up his pace, practically ripping the door to the inn off its hinges. Of course, he hadn't checked the inn that was closest to the bordello. He cursed under his breath as he brushed past everyone in the room, locating the stairs and sprinting up them.

It took him a few tries, and he intruded on a few things he would have rather not seen, but finally he managed to find what he was looking for. The first thing he did was pull the man off of her, then he looked at her. He saw the blood on her face and dress, and the only option he had was obvious.

His blade hissed from its hiding place on his free arm and buried itself into the man's neck. Ambra's eyes opened in shock as the scene unfolded before her. Ezio laid the body gently off the floor before grabbing her by the hand and pulling her out of the bed.

"_Andiamo_,"he ordered as he took her down the stairs and strode purposefully through the door. He half-dragged, half-carried her down the street to Sister Teodora's. When he entered, a few of the girls were standing there with their madam, who set eyes on Ambra and raised both eyebrows.

"You didn't leave here with that," she remarked.

"Is there an empty room?" Ezio inquired. Teodora nodded and told one of the girls to show them to it. "And bring her a dress, _per favore_." Ezio didn't wait for an answer, but followed the girl who was provided to show them to their room. By Ezio's tone and the way that he was carrying himself, Ambra couldn't help but think that she was in trouble.

His glare after he shut the door firmly behind them only confirmed this suspicion.

"What were you thinking?" Ezio demanded. He averted his eyes after posing the question, realizing had to keep himself from looking at her. The blood on her face and clothes was going to keep him from being as angry as he should be.

"I don't know …" Ambra trailed off, struggling. "I guess that I wanted to find you. It didn't work out quite the way I wanted it to."

"Oh, that much is apparent," Ezio snapped as he started pacing back and forth. "Do you realize what would have happened to you if I hadn't heard you scream?"

"Yes," she answered meekly. Her blunt acknowledgment of her mistake took Ezio by surprise. He wasn't used to her admitting that she had done something wrong, or that her actions were not completely justified. In fact, he had been expecting her to find a way to blame it on _him_. Finally, he looked at her again. She was sitting with a completely straight back, her head bowed, staring down at her folded hands. _"Mi dispiace."_

Sighing, he crouched in front of her. He had been expecting some kind of fight after his scolding, but obviously she was not going to try and argue with him. Taking his hand in hers, he said, "Do you now realize why you can't just do whatever you want to here? That this isn't Monteriggioni, and I will ask of you the things I do in order to keep you safe?" She nodded once more, still staring at her hands.

Ezio lifted her face so that he could look at it. Upon really inspecting her face, she realized that there was no source for the blood.

"This isn't your blood," he remarked.

"I kicked him in the face," Ambra explained, a small smile creeping across her lips. Ezio smirked as well, his hand rising to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"Good girl," he murmured, his forehead touching hers as he spoke. He had quickly gotten over his anger due to her repentant attitude, and now his only urge was to take care of her.

"I do my best," she told him, the smile growing. Ezio kissed her softly, rejoicing in the fact that she was untouched and mentally sound.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up."

--------

Precise: Precisely

Foruncolo: Pimp

Ragazza Stupida: Stupid Girl

Andiamo: Let's go


	14. Giochi d'Amore

A bowl of warm water was supplied for Ambra so that she could wash the blood from her face, but it seemed that the dress was ruined. Seeing as it was Francesco's favorite, she couldn't really get too upset about it. Once she had taken it off, she decided that she would just remain in her chemise. The night was balmy, and a warm breeze was coming in through the window. Too many extra clothes would make her sweat, and besides, she didn't plan on leaving any time soon. Ambra figured that she was going to be in the same amount of trouble no matter when she returned to Francesco, so she decided that she might as well have a good time here and make it worthwhile.

A few minutes after she had finished washing her face and removing her dress, Ezio walked back in. When he saw that she was still essentially in her underwear, he backed out again, but Ambra bid him to enter.

Obviously, Ezio was not going to refuse her. He entered the room and shut the door softly behind him.

"What are you doing?" he asked of her. "You should get dressed so that I can take you home."

"I'm not going home tonight," she informed him matter-of-factly. Ezio actually laughed at that. "At least not right now."

"A little forward, Ambra," he stated, "I never thought-"

"To hell with what you thought," Ambra cut him off. Having recovered from the shock of almost being raped, Ambra had her usual spunk and bite back. "I'm not going home tonight. Now, where are you going?"

"Well, if you're going to stay here," he began as he put a hand on her waist. True to form, she succeeded in setting him ablaze. Even more so now that the fabric between his hand and her skin was considerably thinner than it usually was, "I see no point in wasting the privacy. Your husband's intrusions have been most …"

"Troublesome," Ambra finished for him. "You do not have to tell me twice." Once more, Ambra started to work on Ezio's weapons.

"I suppose that we'll get to finish what we started earlier," Ezio murmured softly, his lips grazing her ear as he spoke. "But I think it's only fair that we start with you, this time."

"No," Ambra stopped him as his hand moved the arm of her shift. She took his hand, flipped it so his palm was facing up, and kissed it. "You first." Ezio sighed. Both of them knew that he wasn't going to say no to her. Similar to the way he had earlier, he removed all of his weapons, a little more relaxed now that they were on _his_ turf and not hers. Once his shirt was off, though, Ambra didn't make the same inspection as she had earlier. Apparently there was no need to do it.

Instead she just stepped into his arms, reveling in the feel of the warm skin of his chest against her cheek. Despite the fact that she had almost been raped and was now standing in a bordello with a lethal assassin, she had never felt safer.

"You should let me take you home," Ezio informed her.

"Do you _really_ want to take me home?" Ambra responded, her face still pressed against his chest.

"No, of course not," Ezio responded, "but it's what we should do."

"I've spent the past seven years doing what I ought to do," Ambra told Ezio, "it's about time I did what I wanted. If you're concerned about what Francesco is going to do when I return, you needn't."

"But I do need to," Ezio corrected her as he looked at her neck. She had washed off all of her powder and make up, and the black and blue marks that had been concealed were now staring back at him, reminders of what he had left her to. "He's already shown an … inclination towards abuse. I'm not going to let him hurt you."

"You let me worry about Francesco," Ambra suggested as she dragged Ezio onto the bed. "You just worry about me and what I want. Right now, what I want is for you to take the rest of your clothes off." Ezio's eyebrow shot up in surprise, but he managed to control himself quickly.

"You remember that you're married, correct?" Ezio asked, though he reached for the lacings of his pants, anyway. He couldn't say that this wasn't what he wanted.

"Please don't remind me," Ambra pleaded as she reached up and cupped his cheek. "Right now I'm just trying to forget." Ezio stopped playing with his fastenings and leaned over Ambra, supporting all of his weight on his arms as he hovered above her.

"I could kill him," Ezio reiterated his offer from earlier. Ambra just shook her head.

"No you can't," Ambra corrected as she started working on his pants instead, fingers nimbly untying the lacings. "Now, what did I just say?"

"Right, _amore mia_. We will not talk about your husband." He lowered his head to her neck, tasting the skin there, letting it burn his tongue. He'd been fighting it for far too long and now his strength was gone. It was time to let the fire consume him.

)0()0()0()0(

Francesco hadn't panicked when he realized that his wife was missing. On the contrary, he stayed completely calm, as if he had been planning it the whole time.

"She must have been feeling ill," he told his friends. "She said she wasn't feeling well before we left. I suggested that she stay home, but she insisted upon meeting all of you. But, I told her if at any time she wanted to leave, she should go."

"Without telling you?" Giada asked, showing genuine concern for Ambra's well-being.

"I doubt that she wanted to disturb me while I was speaking with _Signor_ Grimaldi," Francesco answered. "She's very considerate."

"Well, I do hope that she is all right," Giada added as she followed Francesco to the door, where there was no carriage waiting for him. He didn't want to risk sending someone for it, for if Ambra _had_ gone home, she would have taken the carriage. If she hadn't, Francesco did not want to be embarrassed. "Please tell her that I was asking after her."

"Of course, _Signora _Rialto," Francesco promised as he walked through the door. Once Giada was back inside, he asked the valet if his wife had asked for their carriage. Upon hearing that he was the first one to leave the party, at least that he had seen, Francesco had to fight to control his face. "Right. Well, if you could tell my driver that we will not be needing his services and he can return home, I would be much obliged to you." Taking some coins from his pocket and depositing it in the servant's hand, Francesco set off towards his own _palazzo_, thinking that his wife had better be there when he returned, or there would be hell to pay.

More hell than she was already in for.

)0()0()0(

"You have to let me take you home, now," Ezio spoke into Ambra's hair as the two of them lay side by side, his arm around her, his right index finger idly drawing circles around her right shoulder. "Maybe Francesco hasn't returned yet and you can-"

"I told you that I know how I will deal with Francesco," Ambra promised him as she looked out the window. It was barely midnight. She could wait at least another few hours. "Leave it to me."

"That's not exactly in my nature," Ezio murmured.

"You have to trust me," Ambra repeated as she turned into him so that her forehead was resting against his lips. Ezio took advantage of this placement and kissed here forehead gently, letting his other arm close around her. He liked holding her like this; he could protect her easily when she was right in front of him. "I know how to handle my husband."

"_That_ much is evident," Ezio scoffed sarcastically. Ambra looked up at him, but he was not looking at her. He was staring off into space. It appeared that the only thing keeping him anchored to the world was Ambra's body.

Of course, Ambra couldn't know that he was fully aware of every single part of his own body and hers, every feeling and sensation. He delighted at how goose bumps rose from the soft skin of her waist as his fingers lightly traced over it, and how the warm breath on his neck was giving him goose bumps of his own.

"Are you saying that I don't?" Ambra asked playfully.

"I don't think that your husband cares enough about you for you to have a significant influence over him," Ezio told her. "And I'm not trying to be cruel when I say this to you. I am only being honest. Being that I am in the business of violence, I generally don't inflict pain unto people I care about."

"Now, that's not necessarily true," Ambra disagreed. "You're an assassin, you're given targets, and those targets matter to you in some way. You care about them in the sense that you care about seeing them dead. If you didn't _care_, you wouldn't be doing what you're doing, now would you?"

"There is a difference between caring about whether someone lives or dies and caring about _how_ someone lives or dies," Ezio responded. "When it comes to you, I happen to care about both. I'm not going to stand idly by and let your idiot of a husband beat you."

"He's not going to beat me," Ambra assured him as she pulled his face down to hers, forcing him to kiss her. It didn't take much persuasion, and soon he had lost himself into her once more, his arms tightening around her, her bare skin gliding smoothly over his. "We may not have another chance like this again."

"Right, right …" Ezio trailed off, his lips grazing against hers as he spoke. "We will not talk about your husband."

)0()0()0()0(

"I'm staying close," Ezio told Ambra as the two of them stood around the corner from her own home well after midnight. Ambra had donned her own dress rather than leaving in what the prostitutes had offered her. Perhaps she was being a little haughty, but she couldn't bring herself to put on the same clothes as those loose women wore. Besides, the tears and bloodstains on her own dress would help her cause. "At least until I know that you are all right."

"Look at me, Ezio," Ambra ordered. He did. Her hair was mussed, there were scratches on her face, the bruise on her neck was darker than it had been yesterday, and her dress was torn and spattered with blood. "Don't I look like I have been raped?"

"Yes, but-" Ezio began.

"I'm a pretty good actress," she interrupted him. "He's not going to do anything to me when he believes that I was abducted against my will and raped. Don't stay. Someone might see you."

"No one is going to see me, and I'm staying here. I am not playing games," he told her with such finality that she decided that arguing with him would be futile. Instead, she just kissed him quickly and turned around, running towards the door to her home. Upon reaching the threshold, she threw herself against the door, pounding against the hard wood with all her might.

"Francesco!" she called, the sound a hybrid of a scream and a moan. "Francesco help me! _Aiuta me!_" She could tell that she was drawing attention, which was what she wanted. Even though the hour was late, faces slowly started to fill the surrounding windows, staring, wondering what was going on. After about a minute of frantically pounding on the door and screaming, it was ripped open, causing her to fall forward, landing on her hands and knees.

"Ambra!" Francesco exclaimed as he picked her up from the floor, ushering her inside and shutting the door behind them. _"Dove diavolo eri finito?"_

Deciding that it might not be convincing if she poured out her entire fabricated story right then, she just continued crying as she clung to her husband.

"It was terrible," she sobbed. Suddenly she felt more hands on her. This must have been one of the newly hired maids, trying to take her away to clean her up. This was good. Ambra hadn't anticipated this, but it would definitely be helpful.

"No," Francesco said to the maid, his arms closing tighter around Ambra, keeping her close to his body. "Go and prepare a bath. I can take care of her for now." Well, there went the chance of getting away from him for a moment. No matter. Ambra had planned for this. "Tell me what happened to you, _tesora_."

Ambra shook her head and swallowed audibly, clutching so hard onto the lapel of Francesco's robe that her knuckles started to turn white. "Please … I … I can't."

"All right, hush," he said softly as he pressed her head against his chest. By now, he was on the floor with her, as she seemed unable to support her own weight. "You don't need to talk about it, now. _Sshh._" At the moment, he was suspecting the worst, and rage was starting to bubble from deep within him.

The two of them sat on the floor together, Francesco rocking his wife back and forth whilst muttering comforting nonsense until the maid came back and informed him that the bath was ready. Rather than make her walk up the stairs, Francesco picked up his crying wife and carried her to her private quarters, where a large copper tub filled with steaming water stood in the middle of the room.

"Please, _Signore,_ I will take care of her," the maid said as Francesco put Ambra down on the couch. He was reluctant to leave, but he figured that he could not be of much use at the moment, so he bowed out. Once her husband had left the room, Ambra toned down the hysterics slightly, but not too much. She didn't want the maid to become suspicious, as she wasn't sure if she could be trusted.

She allowed the girl to undress her and usher her into the bath. The hot water soothed her muscles, which were sore from the general abuse of the evening. She sunk down and let the water engulf her completely. It seemed that her plan was working, that it _would_ work unless some disaster occurred.

When she resurfaced, her maid was waiting for her with a tray of shampoos, soaps, and oils. Ambra managed a smile as the maid set to work on washing her hair and had to fight to keep it from turning into a full-on grin. She couldn't appear too pleased with herself at the moment.

)0()0()0()0(

Francesco paced the floor outside of the double doors to the bedroom he shared with his wife. He had been told that she was asleep and that she shouldn't be disturbed. It wasn't normally in his nature to wait, but the state of his wife when she had fallen through the front door urged him to tread lightly.

"Come on," he scolded himself as he reached for the door handle. "You're certainly not going to sleep on the floor tonight." He walked into his room and saw Ambra sleeping in the middle of their large bed, surrounded by pillows, hair splayed across them. She looked so sweet when she was asleep.

Francesco approached her and sat on the bed next to her, smoothing a few stray locks of hair from her forehead. When she didn't stir, Francesco lay down next to her, slinging a protective arm over her body. That was when she reacted. Being that she hadn't actually been asleep, she was able to react appropriately to this contact, and flinched dramatically.

"_Mi dispiace, amore,"_ Francesco apologized as he put his hand in the air, showing that he wasn't going to touch her if he didn't want her to. "I didn't mean to wake you." Ambra just shrugged as she turned her back to Francesco. "Ambra, tell me what happened to you. I was worried sick." This wasn't necessarily true. He had been more angry than scared, but seeing the state of her now, he felt ashamed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ambra replied stiffly. "Please, Francesco, sono_ stanco_. Let me sleep."

"Not until you tell me where you were," Francesco pushed. He couldn't help it, it was in his nature to be demanding.

"I don't _know_ where I was," Ambra snapped irritably. "Somewhere awful."

"If you didn't know where you were," Francesco began, "how did you know how to get back here?" It was a good thing that Ambra was not facing her husband, because her face froze. She hadn't thought about that.

"I … I was able to recognize some buildings," she answered uncertainly. "I wasn't far. Once I escaped it only took me about ten minutes to reach home." She breathed a small smile relief; that arrow had been dodged.

"Do you think you could bring me-"

"NO!" Ambra exclaimed. "No! I'm not going back to that place! Francesco, please don't make me go back there!"

"All right, all right!" Francesco answered quickly, silencing her with a hand on her shoulder. "I won't make you go." The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Then, he said, "Ambra … were you … violated?"

"… Yes."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Francesco as he got off the bed and walked over to the window. As he stood in the window with his hands braced against the frame, Ambra was reminded of Ezio after he had seen the bruise Francesco left on her neck. It was obvious that he was making an extreme effort to control himself, but she wondered why. Was he upset because something had happened to her, or because someone had trifled with his wife.

To many, it might not seem like there was a difference, but to Ambra there was a large one. Ezio's anger had stemmed from protective urges, Francesco's from possessive ones.

"Why did you leave the _palazzo_ in the first place?" he inquired without looking at her.

"I didn't," Ambra responded. "I was standing in the grand gallery by myself. Those windows are big. A man climbed in, surprised me and dragged me out."

"And no one saw this?" Francesco asked.

"Obviously not," Ambra snapped. "If they had, don't you think someone would have told you? I certainly hope that they would have." Francesco was ready with an equally sharp reply, but at that moment, he set eyes on something that distracted him completely.

He was impossible to miss, as flamboyantly as he was dressed. The first thing he noticed was the white hood, and even though his face was covered, he knew exactly at whom he was looking. His suspicion was only confirmed when Ezio raised his head and lowered his hood.

Ezio looked up at Francesco as he stood in his bedroom window, and couldn't keep the smirk from his face. Hopefully, he wouldn't jump to the correct conclusion, but he _did _want _Signor_ De Luca to know that he was there. He raised his hand in greeting before putting his hood back up. Instead of turning immediately and walking away, he took a few backwards steps, holding eye contact, before finally turning around and disappearing.

Francesco took a calming breath before he looked back at Ambra. The assassin knew that she was here, and he wondered if she had come into contact with Auditore.

"No," he murmured to himself. It was impossible. If she had, Ezio would not have revealed himself. He would want to keep it a secret. No, he couldn't get to Ambra, and _that _was why he made his presence known. The game was on.

Francesco grinned and looked back out the window. He loved games. His record against Ezio Auditore da Firenze was perfect, so he liked his odds.

)0()0()0(

Aiuta me: Help me

Dove diavolo eri finito: Where the hell have you been?

Sono stanco: I'm tired


	15. Complicazioni

With a spring in his step, Ezio made his way through the streets of Venice. He realized that revealing himself to Francesco was probably not the smartest thing he could have done. Now, it would be nearly impossible to get near Ambra. However, it wasn't in his nature to let such an opportunity pass him by. He had always had a bit of a taste for the dramatic.

Now, he realized, he had a bit more than a taste for the dramatic. He had a taste for Ambra. As he walked, he let his instincts take over and turned his mind to more important matters than direction. Vivid memories from the evening flashed before his eyes. Ambra lying naked before him, displaying that the rest of her hair did indeed match her head. That particular memory was hard to shake. Then there were the more … sensory ones, like the immense pleasure he felt almost immediately when he finally took her.

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. He was quite sure he had never felt anything like it in his life. Unsure of whether or not it was that much better because of the feelings he had for her or because of actual skill, he didn't really care. All he knew was that he wanted more. The fact that it was going to be a little more difficult now to get it only made her that much more alluring.

It seemed so unfair that such a man would have her all to himself. Obviously, he could not marry Ambra. He did not suffer under any delusions in that area, but if she wasn't married, he could at least have better access to her. She would be much easier to take care of and protect if she were known as his. Not to mention, he would be at liberty to help himself to her sumptuous body any time he wanted.

But, it was no good to dwell upon things that were never going to happen. He was going to have to do his best with what he had now, because it wasn't going to get any better. It _couldn't_ get any better.

)0()0()0()0(

Over the next few weeks, things got extremely tense in the De Luca household. Refusing to leave the house under the pretense that she was too distressed to venture outside, Ambra mostly stayed locked up in her chambers, waiting for Ezio to come. He always came.

Francesco, feeling powerless to do anything, allowed his wife to stay in the house, but placed guards at all of the entrances so that no one could leave or enter through them besides himself and his wife. His social life was suffering immensely as he could no longer entertain guests at his house, and therefore had to wait to be invited places. Then, when he arrived at these parties, he had to field thousands of questions about his ailing wife. It didn't take long for everyone to know what had happened; she had made such a scene that night. All of the neighbors saw.

All of these things, combined with the fact that he knew Auditore was out there and yet he could do nothing to draw him out with Ambra refusing to leave the house, were starting to put Francesco on edge. He rarely slept because he was so worried about his position amongst the Templars, and he hadn't made love to Ambra since before they had left for Venice. She wouldn't even let him touch her. All in all, he was frustrated and _very_ close to seeking out prostitutes.

Completely opposite from her husband, Ambra was enjoying her life immensely. No one pestered her, she wasn't required to go to any parties, and Ezio came to see her every day. They were becoming quite familiar with each other's bodies by this point. She could trace his scars from memory, and he pleasured her in ways that Francesco never could.

But nothing lasts forever, and Ezio, though he enjoyed every second he spent with Ambra, knew that he was going to have to put her to work soon. She was his closest link to the Templars, and he had to start making use of her before it was too late. He knew that he had to be smart about it; if she sensed that she was being used, she would close up and that would be the end of it. This was a delicate matter.

Having snuck around Francesco's ill-trained guards, Ezio entered through a window that was on the same floor as Ambra's rooms, but on the opposite side of the house. It was the only blind spot in their detail. Quietly, Ezio stalked through the corridor, careful to keep his eyes and ears open for servants. Luckily, he encountered none; the De Lucas did not have a very large staff. When he reached Ambra's chambers, he produced the key that she had given him and opened the door.

After closing the door carefully behind him, he turned around and looked at Ambra, who was waiting for him. She was lounging seductively on the chaise, her hair falling in a mane of fire down in front of her shoulders. It was so long that it obscured her chest from view. In fact, her hair was the _only_ thing covering her chest. She was wearing her dressing gown, but it was completely open.

A wolfish grin split Ezio's face in half.

"_Bellisima,"_ he murmured as he advanced upon her, bracing one arm against the back of the chaise as he leaned over to kiss her. His lips moved from hers to her neck, and from there they continued their journey lower. Ambra's neck arched back as she let him have his fun, but only for a few seconds.

"Where were you yesterday?" she murmured _just_ as his tongue reached a rather sensitive spot. He lifted his head, which was still hooded, and regarded her with an apologetic expression.

"I could not get to you yesterday, _amore_," he told her. "I had many things to do." That was going to have to be a sufficient answer. Ambra knew that when he didn't tell her immediately, he wasn't going to tell her at all. She wasn't sure if he didn't trust her or if he just didn't think it necessary to tell her, but she wasn't going to dwell on it. Their time together was fleeting and precious, and she was not wasteful. "We won't dwell on the past. I know you hate dwelling."

"You know me too well," she purred as she put her hands on either side of his face and dragged him back up to her level. "It seems that I finally have you trained."

"Never," he said with a smile on his voice, "this is one stallion that will never be broken." At that, Ambra actually laughed. Heartily. Ezio actually had to wait for a minute while she regained her composure.

"_Someone_ thinks rather highly of their abilities," she finally said.

"I've never been modest," he reminded her. "And besides, you have plenty of experience with conceited men. Your husband must have prepared you for me."

"My husband has prepared me for a lot of things," Ambra muttered. Her tone always changed when he talked about Francesco.

"Yes, I'm sure," Ezio agreed. "Now, what has he been up to lately?" He tried to make the question sound like a casual one, and he was pretty sure that he had succeeded, but Ambra still rolled her eyes and sighed. "Don't make that face."

"Why are you so curious about Francesco?" she almost whined. "Am I not enough? Would you even come here if he weren't married to me?"

"Such questions!" he exclaimed as he kissed her on the forehead. "Of course I would still come. You are my favorite part of the day. However, the fact that you are the wife of my enemy is a little bonus." He wasn't going to lie to her and say that he didn't care at all about Francesco. She knew better than that, anyway. It would be stupid to try and convince her otherwise. He watched the expression on her face fall. "Ambra …"

"Please, don't try and explain yourself," she cut him off. "You've done it multiple times before. The sad part is, I'm really not too upset with the fact that you are using me." Ezio sighed as he stood up. Ambra closed her robe and stood up as well. "What?"

"You're doing it again," he informed her as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked down at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Doing what?" Ambra asked innocently.

"Trying to make me _feel_ bad about what I'm doing," Ezio responded. "Can you really blame me for asking questions?"

"No, I suppose that I can't," Ambra answered as she rolled her eyes.

"Now, I know that this arrangement we've got going here is great for you," he began. "And I can _assure_ you that I enjoy it just as much as you do, if not more. But I _need_ you for something more, Ambra."

"I know," she answered.

"You don't understand the amount of power that you hold," Ezio informed her as he stroked her cheek gently.

"Do you know what would happen to me if Francesco found out that, on top of being unfaithful to him, I am giving out information on his little secret club?" Ambra asked him.

"I know what he would _try_ to do," Ezio answered. "But if you think that I would let anything happen to you, then you don't know me as well as I thought you did." Now it was Ambra's turn to sigh. "What is that for? You know that it's true. The only reason Francesco is not dead right now is because you won't let me kill him."

"Yes, I'm fully aware," Ambra answered with a pout. It was obvious that she wasn't going to be able to stall anymore. She was going to have to start fraternizing with her husband and his friends once more. However, knowing that she was doing it for Ezio made it seem like it might be a little easier. At least she would be motivated to keep her dinner down.

"Oh, fine," she answered with an eye roll. "I suppose that I can venture out of my hole for you."

"Oh, you are too good to me," Ezio told her as he hugged her to him, his hands settling on her waist. He pinched the smooth silk of her dressing gown. "I promise to make it worth your while."

"Oh?" Ambra asked, her hands rising to his face and pulling it towards hers. "It's going to take a lot."

)0()0()0()0(

Later that evening, Francesco was sitting in his study, poring over a few very large account books. The nearly empty warehouse was becoming quite a drain on his finances, and he had lately turned to more … unconventional ways of making money. He had become one of the favorite covers for the smugglers of the city. For his help, he was paid in advance and also got a cut of the profit from the illegal contraband. It was as he was looking over what was meant to be coming in the next night when he heard a knock on the door.

"Enter," he called, and looked up at the door as it opened. The last person he had expected to see there was Ambra. He quickly stood up and met her in the middle of the room.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he placed a hand on her waist. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything is fine," she answered. "I was just wondering if we had any plans for the evening?"

"Well, I was going to go to a colleague's for dinner, but obviously I was not expecting you to come with me," Francesco answered.

"No, I want to come," Ambra promised him. "I'd really like to … get out of the house tonight." Francesco actually smiled at this. Ambra had always loved his smile; it made him look so much more innocent than he actually was. She actually smiled in return, remembering a time when being married to him wasn't such a chore.

"This is excellent news!" Francesco exclaimed. "What brought this-" he cut himself off in the middle of his question. It was miraculous that she was asking to accompany him for the evening. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I was going to leave in an hour. Is that enough time for you? If it's not I can send a note ahead telling him that we are going to be late."

"No, an hour is fine," Ambra assured him as she turned and exited the room, leaving Francesco feeling a little dizzy. That was sudden. His wife had barely spoken to him in the last month, and now she had actually sought him out and spoke in full sentences. Not only did she do that, but she asked for him to take him from the house.

He wanted to ask questions, but doubted the wisdom of that choice. If she wanted to go, he would take her, and he would do so willingly. All of the questions after the welfare of his wife were tiresome weeks ago. Now at least she could answer the questions for herself.

)0()0()0()0(

"Whose house is this?" Ambra asked as their carriage approached another elaborate _palazzo_.

"This is the home of Giacomo DeCocco," Francesco answered.

"And how do you know him?" Ambra inquired, attempting to commit all information to memory. Obviously, she wasn't going to be able to take notes, so in order to get Ezio all the necessary information, she would have to remember it all. A daunting task.

"He's the dock master of the port we came in through," Francesco answered as the door was opened for them. Ambra stepped out first, her new shoes making a confident clicking sound as the heels hit the cobblestones. Tonight her dress was a deep indigo and cut very low, much like the one she had worn the night she had her little brush with the underbelly of Venice. Her hair, normally left to flow loosely, was tied in a complicated chignon behind her head in order to not draw attention from the elaborate diamond collar she was wearing around her neck.

It was quite a magnificent piece. When Ambra had first set eyes on it only a half hour before, she knew that it was her new favorite thing. The necklace started high on her neck, almost right beneath her chin, creating a netted design as it descended to her collarbone, hugging the curves of her neck as if it had been made for her. Three pear-shaped diamonds hung at the ends of three separate peaks on the necklace, the one in the center dangling right between Ambra's breasts.

Wearing such a thing made her much more confident as she walked through the door amongst the ladies present at the party, almost as if she could contend with them. She knew she would have to, at least for a little bit. She didn't think that she was going to be getting much information from the ladies present, but she was hoping that through them, she could get to their husbands. She had no idea exactly what she was looking for, but was sure that she would know when she found it.

Before she could get her bearings, she heard a shriek across the room.

"Ambra!" the voice exclaimed. As Ambra turned in the direction of the voice, she saw a small, brown-haired woman hastening towards her.

"Giada," Ambra greeted as she kissed the girl on both of her cheeks.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" she exclaimed. "After what happened, I-" Giada immediately covered her mouth as he green eyes widened. "_Mi dispiace!_ Me and my big mouth. Please forgive me, I-"

"It's fine, Giada," Ambra promised her as she put a hand on her shoulder. "I … I'm fine, now. How are you? I feel like I have been shut up inside for so long. I must have missed a lot."

"Oh, no, you haven't, really," Giada answered, immediately falling into gossip mode. "But what you _have_ missed has been juicy. Did you ever meet _Signor_ Grimaldi?" Ambra raised an eyebrow and indicated that she had, in fact, met the man in question. "Then I'm sure you've met his wife Elettra. _Awful_ woman. Adamo discovered her being … unfaithful."

Ambra did her best to feign interest. However, once she heard the next bit of news, she didn't have to pretend.

"Now, this isn't known to many people," Giada began, "but the man that she was seeing … well, let's just say that he was an enemy to … our husbands' cause." At this point, Ambra had to make a sincere effort to not appear _too_ interested.

"Oh, my …" Ambra trailed off, doing her best to keep her features under control. "And what did Adamo do when he found out about this?"

"I don't know. No one has seen her in a few days," Giada answered. "But can you imagine that? Traitorous whore." Ambra blanched at the strong words. If only Giada knew what _she_ was doing. "Hopefully Adamo has her locked up somewhere, starving and dying."

Surprised to hear Giada speaking in such a way, Ambra had a hard time hiding her surprise. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and found herself wondering exactly _who_ Elettra had gotten herself mixed in with. Perhaps Ezio knew him? Perhaps he and Ezio were friends? Perhaps it was nothing but a rumor.

"How did you find out about this?" Ambra inquired.

"My husband," Giada answered with a shrug, as if that were a stupid question to ask. "That necklace is simply _divine_. Where did you get it? I want one."

"I don't know," Ambra answered, sighing. At the moment, her jewelry was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to ask more about Elettra Grimaldi and her little secret … well, it wasn't so secret anymore. It made her even more aware of what she herself was doing, what she was risking. Suddenly she wasn't feeling so well.

"Are you all right?" Giada inquired, feeling that Ambra was suddenly looking rather pale, which was difficult for someone who was already so fair. "Goodness! Ambra sit down! Someone fetch her some water!"

"_Sto Bene," _Ambra assured her friend as she tried to wave her away, but Giada was not having it.

"Sit down!" she ordered again as she brought Ambra to a couch and forced her onto it. Noticing that it was impossible to protest, she just sat there quietly as Giada fussed. "Someone find _Signore_ De Luca! His wife is not well." Now that she was sitting down, Ambra did realize that the room was not being still. She felt dizzy and disoriented, and was aware of a slight disturbance in her stomach. She hoped that she wasn't going to vomit in front of everyone. That would have been embarrassing.

A few minutes later, she saw Francesco hastening towards her, and automatically wished that she had been able to keep her body under control for another fifteen minutes, at least. The whole point of coming was to try and get some information for Ezio, but now it seemed she wouldn't be able to do that.

"What's wrong, love?" Francesco asked as he crouched in front of his wife and stroked her cheek. "You look pale."

"I might be feeling a little off," she admitted, glad that she had decided to wear her hair up and off her neck. She could feel herself breaking into a sweat.

"I'm taking you home," he stated, wishing that he hadn't brought her tonight. "Just sit here, _tesora_, I will call for the carriage." Ambra just nodded as she relaxed against the back of the couch. She had no idea what was going on. A second ago she had felt fine and now the urge to vomit was pretty strong. She doubted that it was panic; she had never been one to have a weak constitution. Perhaps she was coming down with something. That had to be it. Ezio was probably exposed to many things, it was quite logical that he would pass some of them onto her. Of course, she hadn't remembered him being sick, but she was probably a lot more used to common illness than she was.

A few moments later, a slightly larger crowd had gathered to watch her sit on the couch. Ambra wanted to tell them all to go away, but figured it would be better to just keep her mouth closed. A few moments later, her husband came back to the couch and pulled her up, supporting her weight as she stood.

"I'm sorry that we're leaving so early," he said firmly as he started leading Ambra towards the door. "I will return once I have seen to my wife." Ambra wasn't exactly sure who he was talking to, but she didn't really care. The sudden movement was making her stomach churn again. Luckily she hadn't eaten much that day, or she was sure that it would have been all over the pristine marble floors.

Once she was in the carriage, the look of concern left Francesco's face, and instead he seemed annoyed.

"What is wrong with you?" he demanded. Ambra was slightly taken aback, and she raised one eyebrow at her husband.

"What do you mean?" she asked him. "I'm not feeling well."

"Yes, well I can see that," Francesco agreed. "Are you just trying to embarrass me? You told me that you were well enough to go out and then as soon as we arrive you make me leave."

"If you think I did this on purpose, I think you are overestimating how much I care about public opinion of you," Ambra assured him as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose to try and alleviate some of the pressure that was building in her head. "I am not out to make you look like a fool."

"Well, you sure could have fooled me," Francesco muttered as he leaned against the door and glared out the window.

"At least people will think that you actually care about your wife," Ambra spat. "_You're_ the one who is fooling people."

"Feeling well enough to be a little bitch, I see," Francesco murmured. Ambra just rolled her eyes as she closed them and tried to not feel the rocking of the carriage. As much as she would have liked to vomit all over Francesco, she was sure that she wouldn't be able to spare her dress or her necklace in the process.

In a few minutes, the carriage came to stop and she got out without waiting for help and picked up her skirts so that she could run into the house. The guards at the door opened it for her so that she didn't have to stop, and she made her way to her chambers – and most importantly her chamber pot. She could feel the bile rising in her throat as she climbed the stairs, and she just barely made it to the large ceramic bowl in time.

When Francesco came upon her, she was still emptying the contents of her stomach. One of the maids was standing behind her with an extra chamber pot in case the one in front of her wasn't enough. At this point, there wasn't really much coming up, as Ambra hadn't eaten much all day, but she was still heaving as if there were.

"Leave us," Francesco ordered the maid as he took the chamber pot from her. "I can take it from here." The maid just nodded as she headed for the door, closing it behind her.

Ambra was unaware of the fact that she was alone with her husband until she turned around, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and saw him. A scowl immediately fixed itself on her mouth.

"What?" she demanded.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're all right," he answered.

"Good joke," Ambra muttered. "I need water."

"I'll send for some," Francesco stated as he walked towards the door and opened it. Rather than go and find someone, though, he just shouted that someone should bring water to his wife's quarters immediately. Thinking that had worked nicely, Ambra tried another request as she sat down on her chaise.

"And now I'd like for you to go away."

"In a moment," Francesco answered as he sat down on the couch across from her. "Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," she answered, "I must have eaten something bad."

"You eat the same things I do," Francesco reminded her, "and I have not experienced any stomach problems."

"Perhaps your stomach is stronger than mine," Ambra suggested, frustrated. "Please, Francesco, I do not want to talk right now. Just go." She pointed at the used chamber pot. "And take that with you when you leave. It smells." Francesco was about to inform his wife that he would do no such thing when a wife walked in with a glass pitcher filled with water and a glass. He relayed Ambra's instructions to the maid, who took the chamber pot with her as she left, leaving Francesco to sit with his wife.

"Are you sure there is nothing else that might be making you sick?" Francesco asked. Ambra's eyebrows came together as she looked at her husband quizzically.

"What do _you_ think it might be?" Ambra inquired. Francesco just shrugged as he stood up.

"I don't know. I'm not a doctor. Would you like for me to call one?" he asked.

"No. I'll be fine," Ambra stated as she closed her eyes and waved a hand. "Just leave me. And tell a maid to come back with something more comfortable than this thing. I need to get out of this corset."

"Of course," Francesco responded as he bowed out, figuring that he wasn't going to get anything out of her when she was like this. She could be as obstinate as any man. In fact, she was probably worse because she knew that he wasn't going to push her too hard.

Once she was alone, Ambra turned her thoughts to what was going on within her body. This illness had come on very suddenly, and now that she had vomited she felt infinitely better. It was extremely peculiar. In fact, she was reminded of her mother when she was pregnant with her younger sisters.

Suddenly Ambra's eyes flew open, and she immediately started making calculations in her head.

"_Dio mio,"_ Ambra muttered as she realized that she had not menstruated since before she and her husband had left for Venice. It had been almost two months. She put her hands over her belly as she looked down, quite positive that there was a baby in there. Immediately she was hit with several different emotions, the first of which was pure joy. Having thought that she was barren, this was a most welcome surprise. All she had ever really wanted was children, and it seemed that now she might get her wish. She was overcome with relief when she realized that her childless state was not her fault at all.

However, her joy didn't last long when she realized that she was in a bit of a situation. She had also not had sex with her husband since _before_ the last time her monthly visitor had come. Francesco knew that all too well, and if she told him that she was pregnant, he would _know_ that the baby wasn't his.

"He killed your father, I'm sure that he wouldn't hesitate to kill you," Ambra thought out loud as she stood up and started pacing the room. However, this failed to scare her as it would a month ago. She knew that Ezio would never let him touch her if she told him that there might be some trouble.

A smile came to her face as she thought of Ezio, and she once again placed a light hand on her stomach. She wondered how he would react when she told him. Then, she wondered what he would say when she told him that she was going to have to make love to Francesco if she was going to keep their affair a secret. Ezio knew that she had been faithful to him over the past month or so. He knew that Francesco hadn't even so much as seen her naked, and he quite liked it that way.

She hoped that he would understand, that he wouldn't be unreasonable. Ambra imagined the situation, and the first thing that came to mind was Ezio's offer to kill her husband. At times, the offer was very appealing, but she knew that it wasn't practical. Ezio would never marry her, she was positive of that. Without Francesco, she wouldn't really have much. No, she needed her husband alive, unfortunately.

There was a quiet knock on her door, and she bid her maid to enter. Without speaking, the girl came over to Ambra and immediately started to untie the lacing of her dress. She also helped her remove the necklace before working on Ambra's corset.

"You had this tied so tight," she observed, "no wonder you were ill."

"It's always that tight, Valentina," Ambra stated. "I just ate something I shouldn't have probably." Of course, Ambra realized that her maid might have been right. She had probably gained a small amount of weight and should have let her corset out slightly.

No matter. She would know for next time. Valentina finished dressing her in silence and then started picking up all of the clothes.

"Your husband wanted me to tell you that he went back to the party and that you should get some rest," Valentina informed her. "Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"No," Ambra answered as she went over to the large window and opened it. That was a sign that Ezio could come in, should he be around. She couldn't wait to talk to him. Of course, he would probably be disappointed that she hadn't learned much at the party. Indeed, the only worthwhile piece of information she had for him was the Elettra Grimaldi was having an affair with someone who was an enemy to the templar cause. She wasn't sure if that would be significant to him, but it was all she had at the moment, and there were more important things to worry about. Like how she was going to lie to her husband _again_.

Suddenly Ambra was overcome with nerves. She couldn't help it; she knew how shrewd her husband was. If there were even a small discrepancy in whatever story she decided to tell him, he would pick up on it and immediately start investigating. She had to be careful, even more so now, as it wasn't only her life that she was in charge of anymore.

------

Sto bene: I am well


	16. Un Sacco di Menzogne

Thank you so much to all of my reviewers! You make writing this story so much fun. I'm sorry that I don't respond to you all individually, but know that I appreciate all of your kind words. Also, a special thanks to Koriiko-chan, who made me a bit of fan art. Yay fan art!

)0()0()0()0(

"The girls are starting to feel like they have done something wrong, Ezio," Teodora informed her favorite assassin as he stood on the second floor of her bordello, overlooking the scene below. For a moment, the Madame had left the business to the girls as she came to talk to Ezio, of whom she had seen very little lately. "You haven't touched a single one of them in the past few weeks."

"I've been able to find succor elsewhere, lately," Ezio responded without looking at her, a smile forming on his face. "I just thought that I would drop in to make sure everything is all right. Didn't want you to think that I had forgotten about you."

"I know that you never would, Ezio," Teodora assured him. "Now, where have you been finding this succor? I should know about my competition."

"Don't worry, it's nothing important," he assured her.

"Is it Ambra?" she inquired, just barely remembering the name of the girl that Ezio had brought in a few weeks ago, covered in blood, looking rather shocked.

"Yes, that's her," Ezio answered. "Normally, I would be there now, but I have sent her out on a mission for me tonight."

"Oh?" Teodora asked.

"Well, you know that her husband is a Templar, right?" Ezio asked. Teodora nodded. "Tonight she is attending a dinner party, where I'm supposing other Templars will be. I'm hoping that she might be able to collect some information for me."

"Oh, so you've got your own little spy, I see," Teodora observed.

"I've never been one to pass up an opportunity like this one, have I?" Ezio asked.

"And you are spending all this time with little Ambra so that she will be more inclined to do what you ask of her?" Teodora asked. "Or would you say that are there other reasons?"

"I would say that why I choose to do what I do isn't really any of your business," Ezio answered. "But I guess that since you have been so kind to me, I will tell you that I have some … feelings for her."

"Feelings?" Teodora asked. "There are all sorts of feelings, Ezio. And I know all about them."

"The kind of feelings that keep me from seeking out prostitutes," Ezio answered, a wry smile on his face. "Let all of the girls know that I still think very highly of them."

"I'll be sure to tell them," Teodora assured him. She continued talking, but Ezio wasn't hearing anything she was saying, as someone he recognized had just walked through the door.

Francesco De Luca obviously was not someone who frequented brothels. He looked uncomfortable and furtive, which was why Ezio had spotted him so easily. He didn't belong there and he stuck out.

"Are you listening to me?" Teodora demanded.

"There's Ambra's husband," he blurted. For a moment, he considered concealing himself, but then decided that _he_ was not the one in the wrong here. He let Francesco see him.

When their eyes met, it was like the room had suddenly been set on fire. Francesco's face immediately split into a scowl, while Ezio's smirk stayed firmly in place. Francesco stormed past all of the girls on the floor towards the stairs. Ezio watched his progression, and it was easy to figure out that he was coming to confront him. He stayed calm and kept his position leaning against the banister.

"_Buona sera_, Francesco," Ezio greeted without turning to look at him. "It's been a long time since we've spoken."

"I'd rather it was kept that way," Francesco snapped.

"Well, you're the one who has sought me out," Ezio reminded him. "I imagine that you have something to say to me. What other reason would a married man have for coming to a _bordello_? Congratulations, you have found me."

"What luck," Francesco responded.

"How is Ambra?" Ezio inquired. "I heard that she was raped. You should really take better care of your things. God knows if she were mine, I wouldn't be letting other men _near_ her. Let alone touch her."

"Well, she's not yours, now is she?" Francesco asked. "Last time I checked, she was my wife."

"Yes," Ezio agreed. "Rather lucky for you that her father died, hm?" Ezio had yet to look at Francesco, otherwise he would have seen the momentary loss of control over his facial features. However, Francesco regained control of himself very quickly. The inner panic still remained, though. What did he know? "I know that you poisoned him."

"I would never resort to-"

"Please, don't try to lie to me," Ezio suggested as he finally looked at the man and pushed himself off of the banister against which he had been leaning, drawing himself up to his full height. "I'm not easily fooled. What are you doing here?"

"What other reason would a man have for visiting a _bordello_?" Francesco inquired, deciding to ignore the murder accusation. That would just fuel the fire.

"I'm sure that your wife would love to hear about this."

"If my _wife_ would actually perform the duty of wife," Francesco began, "I wouldn't have to be here. She's entirely useless. I should have let you have her." Ezio had to fight a smile. Ambra had told him that she hadn't even touched Francesco lately, but it was nice to hear it from his mouth as well. Ezio felt truly triumphant. "Not that I would want her in her tainted condition, anyway." Now he was just making things up. Ezio knew that this was all for show.

"No," Ezio agreed, "You can't be blamed. After all, you would pale in comparison to me as a lover. Wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself." Francesco's eyes opened wide for a moment, but when he saw the smirk on Auditore's face, he thought that he had to be joking. There was no way he could have gotten to Ambra. There were guards at the doors, and they could certainly see the windows as well. His house was locked up tight.

"Nice try, Audtore," Francesco murmured.

"I'm not sure if I catch your meaning," Ezio stated.

"You haven't been anywhere near my wife. _You_ shouldn't be trying to lie to me. I, also, am not easily fooled." Ezio's eyebrows shot up at this, and once more he had to fight to keep control over himself. The man was completely laughable. If only he knew. He was too blindly proud to contemplate that things weren't exactly as he wanted them to be. "Now, what does a man have to do to get some service around here?"

"A _man_ doesn't have to do anything," Ezio informed Francesco as he brushed past him towards the stairs. If he was going to be occupied, Ezio wasn't going to waste his time standing around. Francesco watched his retreating form, wondering where he was going, now. Who knew what kinds of things an assassin did in the evening? The only reason he didn't follow him was he knew that Ambra was locked up tight in his _palazzo_. And then, of course, there was the reason he came here in the first place.

)0()0()0()0()0(

Ezio broke in through his usual window, carefully observing the corridor before him before stepping out into the house. Since he knew for sure that Francesco wasn't there, he was a little more careless. This was a decision that he would regret, for as he walked quietly across the floorboards, one of the maids was coming up the stairs. By the time he heard her it was too late. Rather than try, unsuccessfully, to hide, he decided that he would try to minimize the amount of damage done.

Before she could scream, he grabbed her and covered her mouth with his hand. Her muffled cries went unheard by the guards standing outside of the doors.

"_Sssshhh_," Ezio tried to soothe her. "I'm not here to hurt you." The maid stopped trying to be heard, but her eyes remained wild, and she continued to struggle against her captor. "We're going to walk to your mistress's room, _va bene?_" Once more, the girl started to try and scream, and Ezio realized that he had said the wrong thing. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt her, either. Just come with me, _piccola._ Everything will be all right." He half led, half dragged the girl to Ambra's door, where he used his free hand to produce the key to the door. "See? I belong here."

He put the key into the lock and turned. When he entered the room, Ambra's head snapped in his direction, and when she realized what he had in his arms, her eyes opened so wide that Ezio thought that they were going to fall right out of the socket.

"What have you done?" she demanded.

"It was an accident," he responded as he continued into the room, closing the door and locking it behind him. "I didn't want her to scream."

"Well you certainly managed that, didn't you?!" Ambra hissed, panic evident in her voice. "Valentina. This man is not here to hurt either of us. He's going to let you go, and you are going to stay quiet, do you understand?" The maid nodded, and Ezio immediately let go of her. She gasped and breathed heavily, but otherwise said nothing. "Goodness, Ezio, what did you do to her?" she demanded as she led Valentina to the chaise and sat her down. "It's all right, darling. Breathe."

"I might have been holding her a little tightly," Ezio conceded. "I panicked."

"Perhaps for good reason," Ambra agreed. "Valentina, are you all right?" The girl nodded mutely, and Ambra put a hand on her shoulder. "I promise that everything is all right." She waited for a moment. "You mustn't tell anyone of this, do you understand?"

"Wh-what's going on here?" Valentina finally stammered.

"It's nothing, Valentina," Ambra answered as she sat down next to the maid, stroking her hair gently. "This is my friend."

"Why is he sneaking around the house?" Valentina asked. Normally, Ambra would not tolerate questions like this from her staff, but she needed Valentina on her side.

"Because my husband is not exactly on good terms with him," she answered diplomatically as Ezio stood behind her with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He had lowered his hood so that he looked a little less intimidating, and Valentina had not been able to take her eyes off of him. "This _has_ to be a secret, do you understand?" When Valentina didn't answer, Ambra knew that she was going to have to sweeten the deal. "You know the green dress that you are always admiring?"

Finally Valentina looked at her mistress. "Yes …" she answered slowly.

"If you keep this a secret, that dress is yours," Ambra suggested.

"What on Earth am I going to do with that dress?" Valentina asked. "I wouldn't have anywhere to wear it." Ambra rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Is it money you want?" Ezio interjected as he reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of coins. "Because I can give you money."

"Look at that," Ambra cooed. "I'm sure there's something you could do with _that_." Valentina wordlessly reached her hand out and Ezio shoved the handful of coins into palm.

"And there is more where that came from," he promised her. Valentina nodded as she stood up.

"I bid you a good evening, _Signora_," she said as she bowed out of the room. "I hope that you feel better." Ambra murmured a thank you as Valentina unlocked the door and slipped out without another word. Ambra waited to hear the click of the lock, and then turned back to Ezio, hands on her hips.

"You are unwell?" Ezio asked her.

"What happened?" she demanded without answering his question.

"I got a little careless. I knew that Francesco wasn't here and I took my concealment for granted," he answered with a shrug. "Why aren't you well?"

Ambra, once again, forgot about Ezio's question as she paced the floor. "Of course Francesco isn't here. I leave the windows open when he's not here … you knew he wasn't here … What, did you see him somewhere? Silly man …"

"I _did_ see him somewhere," Ezio confirmed. "In a _bordello_, as a matter of fact." He had been wrestling with whether or not to tell her where he had just seen her husband, but he figured that it would be useful in diffusing some of her anger.

He was right about that, or at least it seemed that he was right. She froze exactly where she was and glared at Ezio as if _he_ was her husband and she had just caught him in a brothel herself. He figured that he was off the hook.

"What were _you_ doing in a _bordello_?" Ambra demanded as she closed the distance between them immediately. She stood right in front of him, eyes narrowed as she looked at him, demanding an explanation. For the second time in a very short period, Ezio had said the wrong thing.

"I-" he began, but he didn't get a chance to finish because Ambra turned from him and walked towards her window. "Ambra …"

"Oh. Don't worry about me," she said as she waved her hand. "My husband _and_ my lover seeking prostitutes. Though I suppose that I can't be too angry with Francesco. That would be rather hypocritical, wouldn't it? I _have_ been withholding sex from him. He must be extremely frustrated." Then she turned around and looked at him, and Ezio was horrified to see that there were tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, just waiting for her to lose control over them so they could make the journey down her cheeks. "And _you …_ well I guess that you don't have any obligation to me, do you?"

"Don't be stupid," Ezio ordered as he walked over to her and pulled her away from the window so that he could stand near her without the threat of being seen by yet another person. "I haven't touched another woman since you arrived in _Venezia."_ He reached up to her face and wiped the corner of her eye with his thumb, feeling the moisture of her unshed tear on his finger, happy to have kept it unshed.

"So what were you doing in a _bordello_?" she asked again, this time not looking at him. Ezio used the same hand that had wiped her tear to life her face to his.

"_Ascolta me,"_ he murmured. "The only reason I was there is because the Madame is one of my very good friends. I check in every now and again to make sure that everything is going smoothly. I was talking to her when Francesco walked in. That's it. I cannot say that _his_ intentions there were as pure as my own."

"I don't care about Francesco's intentions," Ambra assured Ezio. He was pretty sure that she believed him. Why wouldn't she? Why would she _want_ to believe that he was seeking out other women? He thanked God for her natural trustfulness. "I've given up any claim that I had over him."

Ezio nodded as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "I answered your questions," he began, "now it is time for you to answer mine. Why did your maid tell you to feel better?"

"Oh …" Ambra trailed off. "Well, the reason I came back early from the party was because I was feeling sick. I got dizzy and short of breath … nauseous, too. Luckily I made it home before anything disgusting happened."

"And how are you feeling, now?"

"Well I was fine until you walked in with your talk of husbands and brothels," Ambra responded.

"Come, don't be angry with me," Ezio murmured as he hugged Ambra to his chest. Ambra cursed herself for being so susceptible to his charms. She wanted to be angry with him for a little longer, but couldn't be. The two of them stood like that for a few moments, and Ambra thought about telling him her suspicions involving her body. But he interrupted her. "So I suppose that going to the party was a waste of time, then?"

"I didn't really stay long enough for it to constitute a waste …" Ambra trailed off. "I learned that Elettra Grimaldi was being … unfaithful. At first I wasn't too interested, but Giada told me that the man she was seeing is an enemy to the Templar's cause."

That was slightly interesting to Ezio, but seeing as Ambra hadn't even given him a name, he figured that questioning her further was pointless and possibly a little dangerous. She was already angry with him, he didn't want to push her and make it worse. "I would have asked more questions, but at that point, I started feeling sick. I don't know if it was because I started to feel nervous because I'm doing basically the same thing Elettra is doing, or if my corset was too tight, or something else … but it ended the evening quite effectively."

"You shouldn't be scared," Ezio assured her as he moved his hands to her shoulders and looked her directly in the eye. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

)0()0()0()0()0(

Francesco walked out of the bordello feeling very much the same as he had when he walked in. Sure, the sexual tension he had been harboring was gone, but now that seemed like it was the least of his problems. Ezio Auditore claimed the spot at the top of his list. His mention of Ambra had seemed funny at the time, but now that he thought about it, it wasn't as outrageous as it was at first.

Over the past few weeks, Francesco had barely seen his wife. With his busy social schedule and her refusal to see him, she could keep secrets from him very effectively. There were, of course, the guards at the door, but this man obviously would know how to get around them.

As he walked through the streets of the Dursoduro district, he was becoming more and more open to the possibility that Ezio hadn't been joking. Rage began to boil within him, even though he didn't know for sure if it was true.

He needed to know for sure. Obviously he couldn't just ask her about it, though, and there was his problem. If he hadn't caught them yet, he doubted that it would be easy to catch them.

No, he couldn't know for sure. The only thing he could do was try to stop it, and he was pretty sure that he had a very good idea about how to do it. It would be simple enough, he was sure. Perhaps in the process he could also find out if they _were_ seeing each other. As his plan formulated in his head, he started walking more quickly. He wanted to get home and see.

)0()0()0()0()0(

"Ambra!"

Ambra and Ezio immediately froze in their position on the floor; they had been too overcome with amorousness to make it to a bed or a couch or anything of the like. After the momentary stop, they separated anda flurry of motion ensued. Francesco was home much earlier than both of them had anticipated.

"_Merda,"_ Ezio muttered as he flew around the room, collecting his clothes and his weapons. He located his pants and practically jumped into them The same went for his shirt, but he didn't think he would have time for everything else. He also wasn't going to be able to leave through his usual exit, but was just going to have to take his chances with Ambra's and pray that the guards weren't paying attention.

The two lovers barely had time for a kiss good bye before Francesco was at her door, knocking. Ambra waited until Ezio was completely out of sight, checked her reflection in the mirror to make sure that she didn't look like she was just making love to man that was not her husband, and then answered the door.

"You're back early," she told Francesco as he walked into the room and made himself comfortable on her chaise. "Party wasn't good?"

"Oh, the party was fine," Francesco assured her, "I just wanted to make sure that you were all right. You seem to be feeling better, if a little flushed. Do you feel feverish?"

"I feel like I might be coming down with a little something," Ambra lied, "but I'm sure that it's nothing serious."

"I certainly hope not," Francesco stated as he looked up at his wife. "While I was at the party, I heard something that I thought might interest you."

"Oh?" Ambra asked as she raised an eyebrow. What could Francesco _possibly_ think would interest her about anything those people had to say. "What?"

"Well, did you hear that _Signora_ Grimaldi made a cuckold of her husband?" Francesco inquired.

"I might have heard something of the like. Why?" Ambra responded.

"I figured that you had," Francesco said calmly as he inspected his fingernails. "I'm sure that I already know the answer to this question, but I will ask anyway. Do you remember Ezio Auditore?"

Immediately, every muscle in Ambra's body tensed. She could only think of one reason why her husband would mention both of them at the same time, and she was sure that she didn't want to hear it. However, she managed to keep control over her facial features, and appeared to be only mildly interested in what Francesco could have to say next.

"Of course I remember him," she answered coolly.

"He is the one that she was seeing behind her husband's back. He caught her with him yesterday. He escaped, of course, but he knows that it was him." Outwardly, Ambra displayed mild shock, but inwardly she could feel her heart sinking into her stomach. She wanted badly to sit down, put her head in her hands, and wait for the room to stop spinning, but that would have been a dead giveaway to the fact that her world seemed to be crumbling around her.

Ezio had lied to her. He said that he hadn't touched another woman since she had arrived in Venice. He told her that he loved her. But it was all fake. He was just using her to get to Francesco.

_I have to hand it to him_, Ambra thought to herself, _he's a very good actor._ Ezio had been very patient with her. For weeks he hadn't asked her anything about Francesco or the Templars. He had pretended that the only reason he came to see her was because he wanted to see her. And she had fallen for it. Hard.

She was overcome with the overwhelming urge to cry, but had to hold it all in as she looked at her husband with a bemused expression.

"Well, well," said Ambra, "I never would have thought that. Elettra seemed quite devoted to Adamo.

"We were all surprised to hear it," Francesco agreed. "And he was probably just using the poor woman to get to Adamo. Now her marriage is ruined." He had been looking carefully at his wife for any signs that this news distressed her, but she showed no change in emotion at all. Knowing that Ambra was one who was governed completely by her emotions, he concluded that she most likely hadn't been seeing Auditore. He breathed an inward sigh of relief. "I guess that he moved on. He was rather smitten with you."

"Well, that was seven years ago," Ambra reminded him. "I certainly hope that he would have gotten over me by now." And he had done just that, the disgusting man. "If he hadn't, that would be a little sad." The worst part was that now, she was most likely stuck with a child that he wouldn't even care about at the risk of _her_ marriage as well. Not that _that_ mattered to him, anyway. He was breaking up couples left and right, it seemed. She wondered if anything he told her had been true. Perhaps Francesco hadn't really poisoned her father after all.

Whatever the case, she wasn't about to let him ruin her life while she could still salvage it. She walked over to Francesco, a coy smile on her face as she approached him and leaned over.

"Poor Adamo," she murmured. "I guess that a good woman is hard to find."

"Not all men are as lucky as I am," Francesco agreed, surprised by his wife's behavior, but very pleased with it.

"And not all women are as lucky as me, I suppose," Ambra added. "I feel sorry that Elettra wasn't satisfied enough with her husband."

"God has blessed us," Francesco stated, his eyes traveling down the deep V at the front of Ambra's dressing gown. It had been aged since he had seen any part of his wife's body besides what was visible while she was fully dressed, but nothing had changed. She was still perfect, and she was still his.

)0()0()0()0(

Ascolta me: Listen to me.


	17. Altamente Grato

Wow ... I've just been churning these out for the last few days, haven't I? We're getting to the exciting parts, so I'm getting really excited. It's like a book that I can't put down, only instead of reading it, I'm writing it. Hopefully I can stay on this writing schedule. Easter break is coming up so I should have tons of time. Once again, thanks for all of the reviews! I absolutely love hearing what you have to think!

--------

Ambra had no idea what she was going to do in response to the news that Ezio had just been using her for his own personal gain. Being a bit of a hothead, she wanted revenge. She wanted him to be sorry, but she couldn't figure out how she would do that without first incriminating herself. If she said anything to Francesco, he would know that she had bee unfaithful, and she couldn't even imagine what kind of punishment she would face, then.

Before, she hadn't been as scared of what might happen if her husband found out, but now she was not so sure about Ezio's protection should anything come out.

_But what if Francesco is lying?_

This thought had been occurring to her all night. It kept her from sleeping. What if Francesco was lying?

Well, that would have a completely different set of implications. Many sets, in fact. If he was lying, that could mean that he knew about what Ambra had been doing. But he didn't seem angry with her or upset. But, he could have just been acting, waiting for the chance to strike her with what he knew.

She immediately threw that theory out. Ambra knew her husband, and he would not stay silent if he knew that she had been cuckolding him. It simply wasn't possible. Unfortunately, that was the much easier theory to deal with. If Francesco didn't know that he was the victim of infidelity, what reason would he have for lying to her? She couldn't think of anything.

Perhaps it was a test to see how she would react? If it had been, she passed. Ambra was sure of that.

Ambra groaned and covered her head with the blankets on the bed. This had all gotten so complicated, so messy. How had she let it come to this? Her life had become a mess that she had no hope for wading through on her own.

She needed to speak to Ezio. Having gotten over the initial shock, she was starting to think a little more rationally right now. What she knew was that she trusted Ezio. She did not trust her husband. Ambra turned her head and looked at the husband in question. He looked so harmless in his sleep, almost angelic. His blonde hair was mussed from sleep seemed to almost blend with the off white color of the pillowcase, and a bit of facial hair was prickling on his chin. Ambra could not deny that he was attractive, or that he seemed harmless.

But she knew better. She had to keep reminding herself that she knew better. Because she knew better, she couldn't just let this lie as it was. If she talked to Ezio, he would know for sure. Ezio was honorable; he was always honest with her, or at least that was what she thought. To date, Ezio had not given up on her, so she was not going to give up on him so easily.

He had said that she hadn't touched another woman since she arrived. She could think of reasons why he would lie to her, but if he had lied about that, why wouldn't he lie about other things? Why would he go to the trouble of really acting like he loved her if he didn't? Ambra had spent time with him; that kind of passion could not be faked. If he really loved her, she might even be able to forgive him for lying. Maybe he had a very good reason for seeing Elettra.

If it was she, she would like the chance to explain herself, and she was going to give the same courtesy to Ezio.

)0()0()0()0()0(

An hour or so later, Ambra and her husband were sitting at the dining table. For the first time in almost a month, they were eating breakfast together, and it was strange. Francesco was sitting right next to her, and as they were waiting to be served, he had taken her hand and begun stroking the soft skin there. When the food finally came, he let go of her, but he did not stop looking at her, smiling.

He thought that everything was fine. Ambra figured that she might as well let him keep thinking that. That would make things much easier.

"What are you doing today?" she asked as some dry toast was placed in front of her. She was feeling nauseous again this morning and didn't trust herself to eat anything else. Francesco had a much larger breakfast in front of him, and was consuming it with gusto.

"Hmm," Francesco began as he thought. "Well, I must head down to the docks to check on a shipment that is coming in. After that, I will probably go to _Signor_ Grimaldi's for lunch. After that I will come home. I was thinking that I might invite a few colleagues over for dinner tonight. Would that be all right with you? If you are not feeling well, I understand."

"_Va bene,"_ Ambra assured him. "I will stay here and rest today to make sure that I am feeling well enough to entertain guests." Francesco grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"Such a wife I have," Francesco murmured. The urge to vomit was stronger now, and Ambra wasn't sure if it was due to her own body or because of Francesco's behavior. "You're too good to me."

"I am," Ambra agreed, causing Francesco to laugh. For the rest of the breakfast, the two of them made small talk about the weather, Francesco's business, and whatever else crossed their minds until Ambra had finally managed to finish her toast.

"I'm worried about you, _tesora_," Francesco informed her. "I think that I am going to call a doctor for you."

"Not necessary," Ambra assured her. "I will be just fine. I just need some rest."

"If you are still feeling ill tomorrow, you are seeing a doctor," Francesco said with finality. Ambra nodded and made a mental note to eat breakfast no matter how she was feeling tomorrow morning. She didn't need a doctor telling her husband that she was pregnant. Of course, she wasn't sure if a doctor would be able to tell at this stage, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Of course," Ambra agreed.

"Don't want to go taking chances," said Francesco as he finally stood, and Ambra did as well. He gave her a brief kiss. "Go rest." Ambra nodded as she watched Francesco's receding form. Once he was gone, she walked up to her own quarters, changed out of the clothes she was wearing into something more comfortable, and then opened the windows. It was early, so she didn't expect Ezio for a while, but she was willing to wait. It gave her a chance to organize her thoughts.

)0()0()0()0()0(

It was nearly noon when Ezio arrived. Not knowing how many people the De Lucas actually kept on staff, he decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. One member of the staff knowing that he made visits was enough. Before stepping out into the house, he opened the door slightly and used his eagle vision to make sure that no one was coming. Once he was sure that he was in the clear, he thrust himself out into the corridor and quietly moved to Ambra's door.

When he put his hand to the knob, he was surprised to see that it was already unlocked. Slowly, he opened the door and peeked inside. Ambra was the only one there, so he walked in the rest of the way. She looked up from her embroidering when she heard him enter, but did not smile when she saw him. In fact, she didn't do any of the things that she normally did when she saw him. There was no warm greeting, no glint to her eye. Ezio suspected that something was wrong.

"What's going on?" he asked as he looked carefully around the room, trying to discern whether or not they were really alone. There weren't many places to hide there.

When his eyes came back to Ambra in her dressing gown, he noticed that there were fresh marks on her neck.

"What is that?" he demanded as he stepped closer and lifted Ambra's chin with a gloved hand. The marks were odd, placed sporadically about her neck and collarbone. The bruises weren't consistent with hands, but God knew what type of things Francesco might use to hurt her. "What did he do to you?"

The cold steel that had crept into Ezio's voice when he asked her this sent a small thrill down Ambra's spine. She loved it when he got protective over her. However, she couldn't allow herself to be sidetracked. When she answered Ezio, her voice was filled with the same amount of steel that his was.

"Nothing that I didn't let him," Ambra answered. "Lately he doesn't touch me without my permission."

"_Che?"_ Ezio asked, confused. Ambra almost smiled. It wasn't often that she could visibly disconcert him.

"Don't be so daft," Ambra scoffed, working hard to try and sound disdainful. "I'm sure that you have seen things like these before. In fact, I'm sure that you have made some yourself-"

"If you're implying that-" Ezio began, but Ambra cut him off.

"Francesco made these marks with his mouth," she said shortly, and Ezio removed his hand from her face. He hoped that she wasn't saying what he thought she was.

"And you let him?" Ezio asked.

"Well, he _is_ my husband," Ambra reminded him. "I can't exactly refuse him access to my body, now can I?"

"I thought that was what you had been doing," Ezio answered. His tone was even and his face was neutral. Because of that, Ambra knew that he was trying to conceal some strong emotion. When he was around her, he let his guard down and his emotions showed clearly on his face. But now he was using the face that he showed to the rest of the world. Ambra felt slightly triumphant. She wanted _him_ to feel the pain she felt when she heard that the man she loved had been seeking the company of other women.

"Yes, well, I decided that I would stop doing that," Ambra answered simply with a shrug. "Is that a problem for you?"

The cold look on her face, the sadistic smirk, and the cocky tilt of her head were too much for Ezio. What was she doing? Why was she acting like this? This was not his Ambra. Ezio could no longer keep control of himself, and the cool, measured tone that he had answered in before was completely gone, now.

"Of course it's a problem for me, Ambra," he responded, hurt and anger evident in his voice. "Why wouldn't that be a _problem_ for me? What could _possibly_ make you think that I would be _all right_ with that?" He was getting sufficiently worked up now, and Ambra hadn't expected that. She had rehearsed this conversation in her head, but they had taken a wrong turn. Now he was looking at her expectantly. Those questions hadn't been rhetorical, and he wanted an answer. Now. "Well?" he barked.

Ambra flinched slightly at the sharpness of his tone. She was starting to see why people thought he was so dangerous. The look in his eyes could have frozen hell over. Ambra looked at his hands, where she knew deadly weapons were hidden.

"Look at my face, Ambra," Ezio ordered. "There is nothing down there that should be interesting to you right now." Despite himself he smirked. "As much as I would like to, I'm not going to kill you." Ambra snapped her head back up to look at him, filled with renewed anger.

"_You_ want to kill _me_?" Ambra demanded. Now she was standing up. "Oh, that's funny, Ezio, coming from you."

Ezio took Ambra by the shoulders and shook her a little bit. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. "Tell me what this is about _this instant_, Ambra, or so help me God, I'll-"

"Forget all about me? Go use Elettra Grimaldi instead?" Ambra interrupted and finished for him. "Haven't you gotten her in enough trouble?" Ezio's eyebrows knit together in utter confusion as he held Ambra at arm's length, unsure of what to do with her now.

"Elettra Grimaldi?" Ezio demanded. "I've never even _seen_ the woman. I couldn't pick her out on the street if you asked me to. You think that I have been sneaking around with Elettra Grimaldi? And got _caught?_ If I came that close to her husband I would just kill him; no one would know about it." Ambra was frozen in place. The intensity in his speech was startling. "_That_ is what this is about? You thought that I was seeing Elettra Grimaldi so you slept with your husband in revenge?"

Ambra nodded.

"_Puttana stupida,"_ Ezio spat as he let go of Ambra and turned away from her. He couldn't look at her at the moment. When he spoke next, he still wasn't looking at her, though he had calmed down slightly. "You heard that she was seeing an enemy of her husband, and you immediately assumed that it was me. That's ridiculous, Ambra."

"That is not how it happened," Ambra corrected him. "Francesco told me that it was you." Suddenly Ezio froze as his head rose and he turned back around to look at her.

"And you _believed_ him?" Ezio inquired.

"What reason would he have to lie about that?" Ambra inquired. "He doesn't know about the two of us." She raised a good point. "And I had already heard something at the party. It was just easy to believe him when he said that he heard it when he went back."

"When he went back to the party?" Ezio inquired, raising an eyebrow. "So I guess that I saw a different Francesco De Luca in a _bordello_ last night." Ambra's eyes opened wide in recognition. In her haste to get angry, she had forgotten that Ezio had seen Francesco the night before.

"_Dio mio,"_ Ambra said as she sat down on the chaise.

"_Dio mio _is right," Ezio agreed as he walked over and stood in front of her, his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. "I'll take my apology, now."

"I'm sorry I accused you-" Ambra began.

"I don't care about that," Ezio cut her off as he crouched in front of her. "You can accuse me of anything you want. I'm a little bothered that you don't trust me, but that's not what I'm most upset about." He raised a hand to her check. "But the thought of his hands on you is tearing my guts out."

"Oh," Ambra responded as she bit her bottom lip. "Well … I'm not sorry about that." Ezio stared at her for a moment, apparently at a loss for words. Then, he stood up and started walking towards the window. If that was how she was going to be, he didn't care if he got caught, anymore. When she saw that he was getting ready to leave, she stood up and went after him, grabbing him by the cape. "Ezio, wait!"

"What?" he demanded without looking at her.

"If you would let me finish instead of just letting your temper get the best of you, I would have told you there was another reason for me to sleep with Francesco," she informed him. There was silence for a few moments.

"Well?" he snapped without looking at her. "I don't want to stand here all day."

"I think that I might be pregnant," she said as quickly as she could, afraid that if she didn't get it out, she would lose her nerve. Then, she let go of his cape. If he chose to leave now, that would be his mistake, but she wouldn't keep him from going.

Thankfully, he didn't leave. Instead, he turned around slowly. Ambra took this chance to elaborate. "If I am pregnant, Francesco would have known that the baby wasn't his if I didn't sleep with him. I had to do it." Ambra could see the muscles of Ezio's jaw working, but his mouth hadn't opened yet. He _did_ move away from the window, though.

"I thought that you were barren," he finally said after some intense struggle. It was like his body had just decided to stop working. He was completely helpless to do anything. Even _Ambra_ could have done some significant physical damage to him if she wanted to at that point.

"So did I," she answered. "But I guess that I'm not. It must have been Francesco who was the issue." The blank stare on Ezio's face was extremely disheartening. She wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting when she told him, but it wasn't this. "You're upset."

"No!" Ezio exclaimed quickly. "I'm not upset. Just … surprised."

"Yes, well, don't get too worked up over it," Ambra suggested. "I don't know for sure, yet. It could just be me getting overexcited." Obviously Ambra wanted children. She would take them whatever way she could. If she could have _Ezio's_ baby, she would consider that a bonus. But obviously he was not thinking the same way.

_Well, why would he?_ Ambra thought to herself as she watched him. He had once again started moving like a normal human, but he still looked like he had just received the shock of his life. _What on Earth would this man do with a child?_

"When do you think you will know for sure?" Ezio asked her suddenly.

"I don't know …" Ambra trailed off. "A few weeks, I guess. I mean, my courses are already about two weeks late. Another two would make a whole month."

"Two weeks …" Ezio trailed off. "All right, well at least I'll have some time to prepare myself for that."

"I'm sorry to burden you like this, Ezio," Ambra tried as she reached a hand out to him, praying that he would take it. He did, and he pulled her into him as well.

"_Va bene, dolcezza,"_ he promised her as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Do you understand why I had to do it, though?" Ambra asked him.

"Yes, I do," he answered. "But that doesn't mean that I like it." He looked down at her hair, marveling at all of the different colors it had in it. Some strands were the color of cinnamon, others the red-gold that she was named for, and then there were a few blonde ones mixed in there. He had never seen anything like it. She was like some exotic animal. "If you _do_ end up having a baby, we'd better hope that it comes out looking more like you than me. Dark hair would be a dead giveaway." As he talked about it, Ezio became a little less horrified with the thought of having a child.

It was positively comical. Ezio feared nothing. He could face any foe or problem without even blinking an eye. But the thought of being a father scared him to death. It wasn't that he didn't think he could do it, but he wasn't like his own father. He hadn't set up any kind of life that would be conducive to having a family because he didn't want one. His lifestyle was too dangerous, and he didn't want to put any children or a wife through what his family had suffered.

Of course, there was a rather easy solution to this problem. He could just leave and not ever come back again. It would be very easy for him to disappear into Venice and never see her again. But the thought of that had even less appeal to him than having a family. He could come to terms with a child, he was pretty sure, but he couldn't come to terms with abandoning her.

Besides, if there were a baby, he wouldn't be the one raising it. Francesco De Luca would.

Actually, that didn't help to make him feel much better. If he had a child, he wasn't sure that he could let it be raised by Templar scum. No, other arrangements would _have_ to be made.

"So are we all cleared up, now?" Ezio murmured into her hair. "Elettra Grimaldi and I have never even met, let alone had intimate relations." Ambra nodded and said that she believed him. "Good. But that leaves a more important issue."

"What's that?" Ambra asked, wishing that Ezio wouldn't talk about business right now. However, she felt like she owed it to him.

"Why would Francesco make this story up?" he asked. "You raised a good point, _amore_. He wouldn't tell you that I was seeing Elettra for no reason. He had to think that it would have some sort of effect on you. Are you _sure_ that he doesn't know about us?"

"I'm positive," Ambra answered. "As much as I wish I didn't, I know my husband. If he knew about us, I would not have any doubts in my mind. He wouldn't take it lightly."

"Something else must be going on, then," Ezio stated as he turned from Ambra and started pacing the room. "Something that neither of us is thinking of."

)0()0()0()0()0(

"Francesco!" Adamo Grimaldi greeted his friend as the man in question walked into his study. "Just the man that I wanted to see."

"That sounds promising," Francesco responded as he sat down in a wingbacked chair in front of a window. He didn't like sitting in the chairs in front of Adamo's desk. It made him feel like a student talking to a teacher. The chair at the window made him feel slightly more equal. Of course, this sense of equality was entirely false, but Francesco was fine with that.

"Yes, I have been thinking about how we can get the ball rolling, so to speak, with your wife. We need to know if she is seeing the assassin," Adamo explained as he lit a cigar and leaned back in his chair.

"I don't think that she is," Francesco responded.

"And what makes you think so?" Adamo asked, puffing out smoke that obscured his face.

"Just a gut feeling," Francesco responded. "And then there are the guards that I have placed at the entrances to my house. Two at the front and two at the back at all times. They haven't seen anything."

"That means nothing," Adamo stated. "Ezio Auditore has not made such a nuisance of himself by not knowing how to get around ill-trained guards. No, if he is seeing your wife, you would not catch him. He is too good. The only way for us to find out is through your wife."

"I really don't think that she is seeing him," Francesco said again. "She had heard the rumor of your wife being … unfaithful to you, and last night I told her that she had been seeing Auditore. She did not seem upset or perturbed in the slightest."

Adamo displayed incredible surprise as Francesco recited this face, and then a huge grin split his face. "My friend, you have inadvertently done _exactly_ what I wanted you to! You're cleverer than I thought, it seems."

_"Cosa vuoi dire?"_

"I started the rumor that Elettra has been cuckolding me," Adamo stated. "It's completely false, of course. She would never do such a thing; she knows that I would kill her if I ever found out. But, I had not yet to add that it was Auditore that she was seeing."

"You wanted to see if Ambra would come and confront her," Francesco thought out loud. It was really quite an ingenious scheme. "A very good idea, my friend, but it seems that I have already carried it out for you."

"Just because she didn't seem visibly upset does not mean that she is not already seeing him," Adamo reminded him. "It just means that she is a good actress."

"I'm glad that you are so willing to believe that my wife would commit adultery," Francesco remarked dryly.

"Women are fools," Adamo stated. "They have no idea what they are doing. If your wife commits adultery, it has nothing to do with you, but her own idiocy. Don't take it the wrong way." He stood up and walked slowly around his desk. "Besides, I have heard stories about Ezio Auditore. If he made a target of your wife, she would not be able to resist. He has a bit of a reputation. Not to mention, the two of them already have history. He could be using her to get to us, and we have to make sure that our plan is working in _our_ favor and not his."

Francesco nodded. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"Tonight I am having a party here," Adamo explained. "All of our associates will be here. There will be many people. If you bring Ambra, she will feel hidden. What you are going to do is tell her that I have been keeping Elettra on the third floor of the _palazzo_ and have not been letting her out. Let it slip somehow. If she seeks her out, we'll know."

"And what are we going to do once we know?"

"Well, if she is not seeing Auditore, we are not going to do anything," Adamo responded. "We'll have to think of a new way to get to him. But, if she _is_ seeing him … well, we'll extract whatever information she has."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Francesco demanded.

"I have my ways," Adamo answered. "And if she doesn't have any information … well, we can always use her to draw him here."

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"I still just think that this is Francesco trying to keep me away from you," Ambra stated. "He knows that you are in the city, and he knows about our history. It's just him trying to keep me from seeking you out." They had been discussing the implications of Francesco's lie at length, and Ezio seemed to still be puzzling it out. Ambra didn't think it was necessary.

Ezio shook his head as he continued to walk back and forth across the room. Ambra thought that he had been pacing so long that he was probably going to wear a hole in the floor. "I always listening to my instincts, and they're telling me that there is something more to this."

"Maybe Elettra knows something," Ambra suggested. "Maybe I should speak to her."

"No," Ezio said shortly as he finally stopped pacing and looked Ambra dead in the eye. "You are _not_ to speak to Elettra Grimaldi. _Capisce?"_

"_Perche?"_ Ambra asked. "Are you afraid of what she might tell me?" Ezio narrowed his eyes.

"Fine, if you trust your lying, whoremonger, Templar husband over me, by all means, talk to Elettra," Ezio suggested. "See what she has to say. I bet that it's _exactly _what you want to hear." Ambra looked down at her hands. "However, if you are interested in getting to the bottom of this, you won't go anywhere near her. She is just going to feed you more lies. I don't trust anyone who has anything to do with Templars."

"You trust me," Ambra reminded him.

"Yes, well, you didn't exactly marry Francesco by choice," Ezio reasoned. "He killed your father and then tempted your mother. You hated him then as much as I hate him now, if not more." He walked over to Ambra and kneeled in front of her. "I would trust you with my life, _dolcezza._ I am asking you to do the same. Leave Elettra Grimaldi alone. Nothing good will come of talking to her, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know that?" Ambra asked. "What if she is on our side?"

"If she was on our side, I would know about it," Ezio explained to her. "I know every single person who is against the Templars. News of one of them sneaking around with Adamo Grimaldi's wife would have gotten to me. Would you like me to tell you my theory?"

"By all means, please clue me into what is going on in my own life," Ambra urged sarcastically.

"I believe that they already suspect you of having relations with me," Ezio began, ignoring her tone. "I believe that all of this garbage with Elettra Grimaldi is just a ploy to try and draw you out. They want you to confront her about it. If you do that, they will know for sure that there is something going on between the two of us. They will use you to get to me and it will work, because there is no way that I will let any harm come to you. Especially not because of me."

It was a logical theory. Ambra could not deny that. Not to mention, this speech had her thoroughly convinced that Ezio was telling the truth about Elettra. The look in his eyes was not the look of a man who was lying to the woman he loved. And besides, he had made a good point earlier. If Adamo Grimaldi had caught him with his wife, Adamo Grimaldi would no longer be alive. She was going to go with _her_ gut and trust Ezio.

"All right," Ambra said as she bit her bottom lip and looked up at the ceiling in thought. "If that is what is going on … he is going to try and offer me an opportunity to get to Elettra."

"There will be a party at _il palazzo Grimaldi,_" Ezio agreed, smiling as he watched her think. He wanted to bite her lips as well, but refrained. "If Francesco comes home and tells you that is where you are going tonight, then you should be suspicious. He'll take you there and then he'll leave you alone. Most likely, he'll mention Elettra's whereabouts on the way to the party. That is how I would do it. He will give you space, but he or someone else will be watching you. You will not leave the party for any reason, do you understand?"

"_Non sono stupida, _Ezio," Ambra scoffed. "But what if they are a little more … proactive once they get me there?"

"I don't think they will be," Ezio stated. "If you don't go to Elettra, there shouldn't be any reason for them to even touch you. If you leave her alone, you will stay safe." Ambra nodded. She wasn't quite sure, but Ezio was a lot better at all of this nonsense than she was. He had asked her to trust him, and she was going to do that.

"Fine," Ambra said finally. "Do you have any more instructions for me?"

"None concerning your safety," Ezio responded. "But obviously, if you can listen in on a few conversations, see how the Templars are moving … I would be grateful."

"Oh?" Ambra asked as she ran a hand through Ezio's hair. "How grateful?"

Ezio smirked deviously as he kissed Ambra lightly on the lips, letting them graze hers as he answered, _"Altamente grato."_

_------_

Cosa vuoi dire?: What do you mean?

Non sono stupida: I am not stupid

Altamente grato: Extremely grateful


	18. Discrezione

This time, to be safe, Ezio left a few minutes earlier than he wanted to. Things were starting to get tense, and it was much better to be safe than sorry. On his way out of the house, he saw Valentina, who didn't even blink an eye as he walked past her. Ezio sincerely hoped that he would not regret that little lapse of care. But most people, especially servants, could be bought.

Ambra, also, was not worried about Valentina. She was _her_ maid after all. The only thing that Francesco did was pay her, and poorly at that. Ezio had given her more than she made in a month working at the house. Valentina would be silent. And if she wasn't … well, she would just have to cross that bridge when she came to it. Or burn it. It would be dealt with somehow. Valentina wasn't at the top of her list of things to worry about at the moment.

What she _was_ worried about was what might happen if what she and Ezio predicted was right. She had a bad feeling in her gut that this evening wasn't going to end well for her, no matter what she did. Hopefully, she was just being dramatic, but the last thing she wanted to do this evening was leave her house. But, she didn't want to say that she was ill and not go, as that would have urged Francesco to bring a doctor sniffing around.

So, when Francesco came home and told her that they would, in fact, be dining at the Grimaldi's this evening, she resisted the urge to curl into a ball and cry. Not to mention, she was beginning to feel ill again. This was going to be a very long night. She ordered Valentina to bring some bread to her quarters so that she could munch away while her maid went about dressing her.

"Which one shall you wear tonight, _Signora?"_ she inquired as she stood in front of Ambra's armoire, admiring all of the clothes that her mistress had to work with.

"The red one," Ambra answered from her seat on the chaise, through a mouth full of warm, crusty bread. As Valentina pulled it out of the closet, Ambra admired it as well. It was one of the newest additions to her collection, but in the latest style of the season and dyed a color named _Sangue di Cristo_. Perhaps that might have been a little sacrilegious, but Ambra had fallen in love with the dark burgundy hue the moment she saw it. If her suspicions were correct and she was indeed pregnant, she wasn't going to have too many more opportunities to wear it.

Valentina pulled out the dress and laid it across another one of the chairs. Then, she reached for Ambra's corset and bid her mistress stand up. Ambra pushed herself from her position and shed her robe so that Valentina could dress her.

"Don't tie it too tight, Valentina," Ambra ordered. "I think that might have been the problem last time."

"I hope that you will pardon my being so bold, but I think that we both know what the problem last time was, _Signora_," Valentina told her. Ambra turned around and fixed on green eye on her maid, who flinched under gaze, but kept doing what she was doing. "I do your laundry, _madonna_. I notice things." Ambra sighed visibly as she turned back around.

"Even so," Ambra began, "don't tie it too tight."

"_Sì, Madonna,"_ Valentina answered demurely as she set to work. The two women were silent for a few moments before Ambra spoke again.

"I need you to do me a favor, Valentina," she told her. She took her maid's silence for assent and continued as she wrung her hands nervously. "I have a bad feeling about tonight."

"What sort of feeling?" Valentina inquired.

"Just a bad one," Ambra reiterated. "I'm worried that things might get … slightly out of hand at this party." It was a very strong possibility. Ambra had made up her mind to resist temptation and not seek out Elettra, but that was when Ezio was there to persuade her. A slave to her emotions and urges, Ambra wasn't quite sure what she would do once she actually got there. Not to mention, she was not the only element of this equation. There was no way to predict what Francesco or Adamo Grimaldi might do, no matter what her actions were.

"And what do you want me to do?" Valentina asked, cutting right to the chase.

"If I don't return home with Francesco tonight," she began, "I'll need you to send a … distress signal of sorts. To Ezio."

"Why wouldn't you return?" Valentina demanded, displaying concern. She quite liked Ambra; she was a kind and benevolent mistress who really did not ask for much from her. Not to mention, this arrangement that she ahd made with her lover was quite beneficial. Obviously she did not want any harm to come to her.

"I don't know," Ambra responded, "but I might not. Will you do this, for me?"

"What do you need me to do?" Valentina asked again, but this time in what she hoped was a soothing whisper.

"Tomorrow, once Francesco leaves the house, I want you to open the windows of this room. That way Ezio will know that it is safe to come in. Once you've opened the windows, I want you to wait here for him. Tell him that I never returned from Grimaldi's. Hopefully he'll know what to do then."

"And what will that be, just in case?" Valentina inquired. She really did not like the way that Ambra was speaking.

"_Non io so,"_ Ambra responded on a sigh. "I'm hoping that_ he_ does, though."

)0()0()0()0(

"_Bellisima,"_ Francesco greeted his wife as she descended the stairs of the _palazzo_, admiring the blood red dress. _Sangue di Cristo_ indeed. "An excellent choice, my love." Ambra had once again worn her hair up and off her neck, though this time it was not to show off an elaborate piece of jewelry. No, she wanted to keep her hair off of her neck in case she started feeling sick again. Her jewelry this time was much simpler. A gold choker around her neck with a matching bracelet around her wrists, and a gold fan were the only decoration she wore. The dress was enough.

"_Grazie,"_ Ambra responded, a fake smile plastered onto her face. She was angry with him, but she couldn't show it. Now was not the time. That time would come, she knew. She hoped, but now she had to play by his game by his rules.

Ambra _had_ always liked games. So, she was going to treat this evening like sport. Perhaps that was the only way she would actually be able to get through it safely and successfully.

Like all games, there were rules to follow. First and foremost of those was she was to not see Elettra Grimaldi under any circumstances. That would constitute immediate disqualification, no matter what the reason. Rule number two was also quite simple; she was to fly under the radar. If possible, she would go the whole party without speaking to anyone. The only thing she was required to do was listen, and she would only speak when spoken to. Rule number three was a little more difficult, though; learn as much as possible. Unfortunately this she could not control. The amount of information she gleaned from the evening was entirely dependent on the people around her.

"Anticipating any mishaps tonight, my love?" Francesco asked as he helped his wife into the carriage and then got in behind her. The footman closed the door as Francesco stared at his wife, who was looking out the window as she spoke to him.

"I wasn't," Ambra responded, "but I have a feeling that I might be ill soon."

"You've never been funny, Ambra," Francesco reminded her, "best not to try and start, now." Ambra merely rolled her eyes as she leaned her chin against her hand. It was going to be a long night. "You should consider yourself lucky, at least I do not treat you like Adamo treats his wife."

Ambra feigned indifference and continued staring out of the window, hoping that Francesco would elaborate without her telling him to. He did not let her down.

"Though, of course, you haven't been cheating on me. I'm sure that I would do much worse than lock you in a room on the top floor of our house if I found out that you had been playing me false."

"I'm sure that you would, as well," Ambra remarked on a sigh. It seemed that Ezio's prediction was coming true. Francesco was trying to lure her into a trap. This fish, though, was not going to take the bait. "Don't worry, Francesco, I have no doubts as to what you are capable of doing."

"I feel like you think I am some sort of monster," Francesco told her, sounding mildly hurt. "Except for isolated incidents where you have pushed me too far, I feel that I am an extremely benevolent and indulgent husband to you."

"Of course, Francesco," Ambra responded, monotone, "forgive me if I have given the impression that I think you are anything but." Francesco was unsure of how to reply to this, so he didn't bother. Instead, he looked out his own window and sent a silent prayer that everything would go the way he wanted it to tonight. He hoped with all of his might that Ambra stayed away from Elettra. He had become a murderer, sacrificed his immortal soul, in order to have this woman. Francesco wasn't sure what he would do if he found out she was being unfaithful.

When the carriage finally came to a stop, the couple descended in front of the familiar _palazzo_ and stared up at the impressive façade. To Ambra, it was an obstacle to overcome. She had to go in and get out without any major incidents. She took a deep breath in, her chest visibly rising and falling, and flicked her fan open. It looked like she was trying to be coy and alluring, but she was really just trying to combat the sweat she could feel forming on her brow.

As the couple approached the doors, they swung open to allow them into the house. They were among the last to arrive and everyone looked at them as they entered. Francesco wondered if they had been made aware of what was going on. He hoped that they hadn't. His embarrassment would be immense if it turned out that she did go looking for Elettra.

"Do you think that you will be all right without me, love?" Francesco inquired. "There are a few people that I need to speak with."

"Of course," Ambra answered with a small nod. He was leaving her alone, another thing that Ezio said he would do. Ambra wondered at how well Ezio predicted everything. It was almost as if he was in on the plan, himself. That certainly would have been interesting.

But that also would have made no sense. Ambra resolved to not let her imagination get the best of her.

Francesco walked away from his wife and waited until he was at a safe distance before doubling around and choosing a place where he could watch her every move, and Ambra did her best to look like she was having fun, while also keeping one eye on her husband. Discretely, of course. However, it was difficult to keep her attention upon him, as women asking after her health soon overwhelmed her.

"We were so worried about you!" Giada exclaimed as she took a sip from a glass of wine that she was holding. Ambra had to fight to keep her eyes from rolling. She doubted that these women had been worried about her health as much as they were worried about a bit of gossip that might have come as a result of it. "You looked so pale and clammy."

"I'm aware," Ambra promised her. "I was there, remember?" The other women chuckled and Giada looked slightly taken aback.

"I was just expressing concern for your well being," she sniffed.

"And I appreciate it," Ambra promised. Her eyes had been making a wide sweep of the room, and she had suddenly become very aware of the stairs. There were people on the balcony of the second story, walking around, conversing, drinking, and flirting. If she could just make it up there, she was sure that she would be able to slip up to the third floor unrecognized. She could have a look around, see if there was any truth …

Ambra shook her head to snap herself out of it. She resolved that she wasn't even going to go near those stairs. The temptation would be too much, she was positive. There was only so far she could take her self control, and it definitely would not go there.

Giada had apparently gotten over the supposed insult Ambra had given her, for she was talking away in that high, melodious voice of hers. One of the things Ambra liked about Giada was that she was entirely capable of carrying out a conversation all by herself. This was convenient, as Ambra was no longer paying attention. Instead, she was watching as Adamo Grimaldi greeted her husband. The two men were shaking hands, and Adamo had leaned into Francesco's ear to tell him something.

Immediately, Ambra was intrigued. As the two of them walked away from the crowd, she was overcome with the urge to follow them. Whatever they were talking about, it was very likely that Ezio would want to hear about it.

"I'm sorry, Giada, I'm feeling a little off, again," Ambra lied apologetically. When she saw that he friend was about to try and make a fuss over her, Ambra put up her hand to stop her. "I'm sure that it's nothing. I am just going to step outside for some air. Please don't worry."

"If you're sure," Giada replied slowly, looking skeptically at Ambra. "If I don't see you back in fifteen minutes, I am going to come looking for you."

"That won't be necessary," Ambra promised as she glided away. She was counting on the ladies forgetting about her instantly, and when she looked back she was pretty sure that they had. Their attention spans were nothing to be marveled at.

Wishing that she hadn't worn a bright red dress, Ambra made her way through the crowd in the direction she had seen her husband leave with Adamo. She felt like she was sticking out, as if she really did have blood all over her. Eyes from all directions closed in on her, and she decided that they had to be watching her for a reason. Perhaps they were in on what was happening.

That was unfortunate. There went all of her hopes of discretion.

However, she pressed on. As long as she didn't go up the stairs that were looming in front of her, she was pretty sure that she would be safe.

She was right. When she passed by the lavish staircase without even a second glance, she immediately felt all of the pressure leave her, as if the room had let out a large breath that it had been holding in. She might have been imagining it, but even so it was real enough. Without realizing it, she released a large sigh of relief as well. She hadn't trusted herself to pass those up.

Finally, she had exited the main room where the party was being held. She knew that dinner would be starting soon, so she had to make quick work of this.

Up until now she had been following blindly. When she finally had the presence of mind to become aware of her surroundings, she realized that she was in a rather long corridor towards the back of the first story of the house. There was another, much more private set of stairs back here, most likely for the use of the servants. Her heart started beating faster when she realized that she could slip up these stairs undetected. But all thoughts of going to Elettra were erased when she heard voices coming from one of the doors.

Ezio had asked her not to go near Elettra, and he had asked her to gather information for him. She closed her eyes and sighed. For once in her life she was going to follow directions.

"_Concentrati, _Ambra," she ordered herself quietly. She could practically feel those stairs trying to drag her towards them as she passed by. She stopped in front of them, staring up at the possibilities that they held. She could get to the bottom of things once and for all, but then she could also get caught and be exposed.

She kept walking. The murmurs she had heard before were becoming louder, now. Her husband was definitely the one speaking.

As she approached the door, she realized that it was very slightly ajar. Whoever closed it had meant to close it all the way, but had not been paying attention. The slit in the door was barely enough to see inside, but Ambra could hear just fine.

"The rent on the warehouse is becoming rather expensive," Francesco informed his friend as he poured some wine from a decanter. "I've come up with extra sources of income to cover it, but they're … unreliable."

"I know all about your smuggling," Adamo assured him. "Nothing that you do escapes my notice, friend." There was silence for a moment, and then Adamo spoke again. "Don't look so surprised! You're not exactly good at hiding it. A child could pick up on your paper trail. You need to be a little more discreet."

"Noted," Francesco answered dryly. "Any tips on how I might do that?"

"I don't know, I have never had to resort to smuggling," Adamo responded, the smile on his voice suggesting that this was a lie that neither man believed. "But, if the price is becoming a burden on you, we can have the package moved. There are numerous places in the city where we can keep it. The warehouse was just the most public. I wanted to catch the assassin's attention."

Ambra figured that they must have been talking about Ezio, now. Her excitement doubled. She realized that she quite liked the job of spy. Never before had she felt such a rush of adrenaline.

"Where would we put it?" Francesco inquired. "I'd be happy to store it in my basement. I have a rather extensive wine cellar-"

"No, we're not putting it in your house," Adamo cut him off. "It is too easy for the assassin to get to, and I do not trust your wife. If she is in league with him, she will tell him of it immediately, and then there is no mystery left. We need him to pay attention to that box." Ambra wondered what could possibly be so important about this box, and also why they would _want_ Ezio to be paying attention to it. Perhaps it was just a distraction while they worked on other things?

"All right, then, where?" Francesco asked for the second time. "I would be happy to make the arrangements." There was no doubt that he wanted the thing off his hands. He thought that it was rather silly to go through all of this trouble for the sake of an empty box, but he wasn't going to question Adamo. If he thought that this was going to work, then Francesco was just going to go along with it until it didn't. He doubted that he would actually get the satisfaction of being able to say 'I told you so', but he would at least be allowed to think it.

"Once I find a suitable place, I'll let you know," Adamo assured him. "Now, I trust that there is someone out there watching your wife?" Francesco nodded.

"Yes, I told Giada Rialto that I wanted to know if she made her way up to the higher stories of the house. She doesn't know why I'm interested, but it isn't in Giada to question a man. I envy her husband." Ambra narrowed her eyes and fought the urge to barge into the room and make him _really_ envy _Signor_ Rialto.

Adamo laughed heartily. "Ambra gives you problems?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Francesco answered. "It is very hard to control that woman. And to think I murdered her father for a chance at her. Such a waste." At this point, Ambra lost control over herself. She gasped loudly and then quickly covered her mouth as the two heads snapped in her direction.

Instincts immediately took over as she turned and ran. However, her dress and her heels, she knew, would keep her from reaching the end of the corridor in time. So, when she came to the servant's staircase, she ascended them as quickly as she possibly could. She could hear footsteps following behind her, but did not turn to see if they were close. Once she reached the top of the staircase, she leaned against the wall and collapsed, her skirts ballooning around her like a pool of blood.

She was still covering her mouth with her hand, not sure what would happen if she removed the block. Her green eyes were wide open in shock, and there was sweat forming on her brow as she tried desperately to slow her breathing and her heart.

Obviously, Ezio had told her about his suspicions, but up until now, they were just that. Only suspicions. But now, it was all out in the open. Now, it was unavoidable fact that she had married the man who killed her father. She had shared his bed for seven years, and had been a faithful wife up until very recently.

She wanted to leave, she wanted to run and never look back. There was no way that she would be able to hide the fact that she knew from him. She couldn't possibly look him in the face again knowing that he had killed a beloved member of her family. Not only had he viciously upended her own life, but her mother's and younger sisters' as well. All for his selfish desire to make her his wife.

Tears of disgust, anguish, and rage rolled down Ambra's cheeks and hands. The kohl lining her eyes started to smudge and she knew that if she were going to reenter the party, she would need to come up with a damned good excuse for her appearance.

That would be easy enough. But first she needed to calm down.

She took a few deep breaths, her shoulders visibly rising and falling as she tried in vain to gain control over herself. It wasn't working. She felt as if her chest was closing up. The air was too thick to breathe in. She had heard about things like this happening. When women heard stressful news, their bodies shut down. Sometimes they fainted.

At least she hadn't fainted. That would have been embarrassing.

Finally, Ambra let go of her mouth. Her hand was free just in time for someone to grab it. Frantic, she looked up as Adamo pulled her from the floor.

"What are you doing up here, _Signora _De Luca," he demanded of her as he dragged her down the hallway.

"I was feeling unwell. I thought that up here I would be able to escape the crowds of the party, but apparently not," she groaned as she stumbled to keep up with him. "What are you doing?"

"Did you hear anything interesting?" Adamo answered her question with one of his own.

"No," Ambra answered.

"Then why did you run?" Adamo demanded as they came to another flight of stairs.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't try and play dumb with me; I'm not your husband," Adamo suggested as he dragged her up the stairs. Ambra was still having a bit of trouble with her motor skills due to the shock that she had just received. Not to mention, all of this excitement was starting to make her feel ill.

Maybe if she threw up, she could distract him enough to get away.

"I don't know what you were talking about," Ambra repeated.

"Perhaps we were imagining things, but your husband and I were having a discussion in my office when we heard a disturbance outside of the door. When we looked, all we could see was red before the trespasser darted away. You are a very red, person, my dear."

"There are other women wearing red dresses," Ambra pointed out, struggling to remain calm and seem innocent. However, she had a feeling that Adamo was already suspicious of her. She wondered about what he already knew. Fear gripped her insides as she was led into a lavish bedroom and thrown onto the bed.

"Is he watching?" Adamo demanded as he walked over to the window and drew the curtains closed, plunging them into a state of semi-darkness that was only relieved by the light entering the room through the open door.

"I don't see anyone else in this room besides the two of us," Ambra stated. "And I appreciate your concern for my well being, but I really don't need to lie down right now."

"_Chiudi il culo!"_ Adamo exclaimed.

"You just asked me a question, I assumed that you wanted me to answer," Ambra snapped. "Now, exactly who is supposed to be watching us?"

"I told you not to play dumb with me, little whore," Adamo said, far more calmly than he had spoken before. Ambra flinched at the harsh language and narrowed her eyes at the man.

"I don't know who you think you are speaking to, but-"

"Oh, please, don't try and pretend that you are virtuous and good," Adamo hissed as he advanced upon Ambra. Now he was standing directly in front of her as he stared down his long, straight nose in disdain. "We know what you have been doing." Ambra almost panicked, but luckily she had the presence of mind to respond immediately and calmly.

"And what exactly is that?" she asked. Adamo stared at her for a moment and then turned on his heel, storming towards the door.

"I'll let you think about it for a little while," he told her. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

)0()0()0()0()0(

"Did you find her?" Francesco asked Adamo frantically when he finally spotted the man again.

"I did," Adamo responded. "She was on the second story near the servants' staircase. She seemed rather distraught."

"Oh God," Francesco muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair. If that had been her standing outside of the door, then she must have heard what he said to Adamo about her father. He felt as if the room was closing in around him, making it a little difficult to breathe.

"If you're worried that she heard what you said about her father, I think that you're probably right to do so," Adamo informed him.

"Where is she now?" Francesco demanded.

"I have her locked in one of the bedrooms upstairs," Adamo responded.

"You _what_?" he demanded, the volume and tone of his voice drawing a few stares from the other party guests. "That is _my_ wife. You had no right-"

"She was spying on our conversation. Obviously she is working for him."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Francesco exclaimed. "She's been sick lately. She might have been looking for me to tell me that she wasn't feeling well!"

"I doubt that," Adamo murmured as he put a hand on Francesco's shoulder, trying to calm him down and lead him away from the crowd at the same time, but Francesco wasn't budging. He had let Adamo bully him around, and he was fine with that. But Ambra was _his_, and he didn't like other people touching his things.

"Did she _tell_ you that she had been spying on us?" he inquired.

"No, but-"

"Did she make any sort of confession at all?" Francesco persisted.

"No, Francesco, but of course she wouldn't-"

"Then you have no reason to _lock up my wife_ in your house!" Francesco shouted. Now everyone really was looking at them. Francesco obviously didn't care, but Adamo was eager to get the incensed man away from the large group of people. "You will release her to me, _immediately_. This was _not_ a part of what we discussed."

"Well, things didn't exactly go according to plan, did they?" Adamo inquired. He was now forcibly dragging Francesco away, which really just drew more attention to the fact that there was something wrong, but at this point Adamo did not care. The damage had been done. Any hope for discretion was gone. Once the two of them were away from the main group of people, Adamo first got a hold of his butler, who was walking by.

"Start leading the guests into dinner," he ordered. "I will be there shortly." He was not going to put the entire event on hold just because of a minor mishap with a spoiled brat and her idiot husband. When he looked back at Francesco, the man in question was leaning against a wall, huffing and puffing angrily. "Listen to me, Francesco." Instead of answering, Francesco just glared at his friend, trying to manage the worst look possible. "I realize that we agreed that I would only keep her here if she sought out Elettra."

"Which she did not," Francesco reminded him.

"No, she did not," Adamo agreed. "But God knows how long she was standing out there … or how long she _would_ have stood there if we hadn't noticed her presence."

"It might not have been her," Francesco reminded Adamo, though he didn't believe this even as the words came out of his mouth.

"Don't be such an idiot," Adamo spat. "You _know_ that it was her. Think of what could have happened if the information I was about to share with you got back to the assassin? The entire operation would be over. There would be no point in even having you in Venice anymore. The only reason you and your wife are here is to draw out the assassin. If she told him that, we would have _nothing._"

"Stop talking about her like she is having an affair with him!" Francesco cried desperately. "There is no proof."

"No _obvious_ proof," Adamo reminded him. "Now, keep your voice down. You're going to cause a scene."

"If you don't tell me where you are keeping my wife and give me a key to the door right now, you won't get a scene, but an entire play," Francesco promised, his tone suddenly darkening as he pushed himself off the wall and held his hand out.

"You are not taking her anywhere," Adamo informed him.

"No, _you_ are not keeping her anywhere," Francesco countered as he continued to advance on Adamo. If it was going to come to a fight, Francesco liked his odds. He was bigger than Adamo.

"All right, how about we compromise?" Adamo suggested, his cunning was not going to fail him yet. "I will give you the key and you can go see her. Try to soothe her and calm her. But let me keep her here. See if the assassin comes looking for her. If nothing happens in … say, two days, you may take her home and I will no longer question whether or not she is working against us."

Because Adamo had said 'let me keep her here', Francesco was already starting to become more comfortable with the idea. He felt like they were doing this on _his_ own terms and not Adamo's.

"All right," he answered, still holding out his hand. "I will go and talk to my wife, and you can keep her here for two days, but not a second longer."

"That is all I ask," Adamo promised. "And you know that I will take extremely good care of her. She will be comfortable and have everything she needs. I will even assign her a maid." He placed the key into Francesco's hands before he turned and bolted for the stairs without even asking in which room he was keeping Ambra.

After trying a few doors on the third story, he finally found one where the lock fit the key. He opened the door slowly, and when he looked inside, he saw that Ambra was sitting on the bed.

When she saw her husband, it was if fireworks went off in her body, setting her on fire. Ambra retreated towards the head of the bed and drew her knees around her.

"Don't come near me, you murdering son of a whore!" she exclaimed. Francesco sighed calmly as he closed the door. While he had been looking for her, he had constructed a story in his head. He hoped that it would work.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that," he said as he approached the bed and stood at the foot of it. He knew better than to try to touch her now.

"_You're_ sorry?" she asked incredulously. "Just think about how sorry _I_ am! I was the one who got tricked into marrying you."

"I did not trick you," Francesco promised. "Do you really think that I am capable of murder, Ambra?"

"You just _said_ that you killed my father so that you could marry me!" Ambra reminded him. "I heard the words come from _your_ mouth. There is no denying it."

"I'm not trying to tell you that it wasn't me who said it," Francesco promised. "I'm just trying to tell you that it was a lie."

Ambra wasn't expecting this, and her head cocked to the side as she looked strangely at her husband. "A lie?" she asked.

"Yes," Francesco assured her as he sat at the foot of the bed. "I know that you haven't had much interaction with Adamo, but he is … how can I say this? To put it lightly, he is not a good man."

"I gathered that," Ambra snorted.

"It's foolish, I know," Francesco continued, "but I wanted to gain favor with him. Show him that I am capable of the things that he wants me to do … so I used the timing of your father's death to my advantage. It's horrible, I know, but I've done a lot of things lately that I am not proud of."

"Like what?" Ambra demanded.

"I don't want to burden your mind with my troubles, Ambra," Francesco answered. "Especially not in the condition you're in right now." Now he moved closer to her, scooting slowly across the bed in the most nonthreatening way he could manage. "You know me, Ambra. You know that I could never kill someone."

Ambra felt like her mind was being tossed about on a rough sea. She hardly knew what to believe anymore. So many people were telling her so many different things. The sad part, she reflected, was that she did not trust anyone enough to completely believe what they were saying when she was getting so many different stories. Naturally, she wanted to believe Ezio, but he was obviously working towards his own ends, as well. She wouldn't put it past him to tell her a lie to turn her against her husband so that she would be more useful to his cause.

But then again, she could just as easily imagine Francesco lying in order to keep his own hold over her. If he really_ had_ killed her father, then he was certainly capable of many other things, including lying to her.

"I can see that you are conflicted," Francesco stated, "so I would like to make a suggestion. Obviously you don't want to be around me right now, and I guess that I can understand that. You have had a tough night. I could _kill_ Adamo for bringing you up here and locking you in. I almost _did_, actually. There was quite a scene." That made Ambra feel a little better. At least Francesco had defended her. "Why don't you stay here for a few days? Let your mind be sorted out. Adamo has offered you the use of this room and your own personal maid."

"No," Ambra said with finality. "I want to go home." Francesco hadn't been expecting that. He had assumed that she wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. The chance to be away from him for a few days _should_ have appealed to her. Suddenly, Francesco became suspicious as well. Obviously, if Auditore were seeing her, he would not know to come and look for her here. She would want to be at home where she would be easily accessible to him.

"All right, here is the real story," Francesco tried again. "Adamo thinks that you are having an affair with Ezio Auditore, so he wants to keep you here for a few days to see what happens." He got off of the bed and stood glaring down at Ambra. "I'm interested to find out as well."

Ambra did her best to keep the fear from showing on her face, and thanked God that the room was dark. Francesco backed out of the room, not taking his eyes off of her. "For your sake, I hope that my faith in you is not misplaced." He slammed the door and locked it behind him before walking briskly towards the staircases so that he could rejoin the party, comfortable in the knowledge that he would soon get to the bottom of this.

-------

Concentrati: Concentrate! (Imperative)

Chiudi il culo: Shut the fuck up


	19. Decisioni, Decisioni

Hey, Everyone! Thanks for being so patient! I'm just finishing up my freshman year in college so things are getting pretty hectic right about now! I churned this one out pretty quickly so I was feeling guilty. I hope that it's up to everyone's standards! Once again, thanks for all of the reviews! This story is really so much more fun to write when I know that there are people out there who are going to enjoy it!

)0()0()0()0(

Ambra sat on the bed and stared up at the lavish canopy, marveling at how she had gotten herself into this situation. She had followed Ezio's instructions and not tried to seek out Elettra, but it still seemed that she was about to be used to lure him there.

Part of her wanted him to come and save her. She wanted him to burst in through a window, killing anyone in his path to her, and sweep her off her feet. She wanted him to take her away and hide her somewhere so that she would no longer be expected to do anything but raise Ezio's baby and live happily ever after.

There was another part of her, though, that knew that was definitely not the best option. She doubted that Ezio's lifestyle was conducive to family. Not to mention, Francesco would probably burn down Venice to find her.

Ambra realized that she shouldn't have left Valentina with instruction to give Ezio a distress signal if she didn't return home. She had definitely put the horse before the cart. The one thing that she had not counted on was Francesco reacting as a husband should have. There was no doubt in her mind that Adamo Grimaldi would keep her in this room forever if he could. It must have been Francesco who reduced her sentence.

She could handle two days in this room if it meant that she could keep her secret.

God damn her dramatic nature.

Now she just had to hope that Ezio would be sensible.

)0()0()0()0()0(

"_Dov'è Signora De Luca?"_ Valentina asked of Francesco as he entered the house by himself.

"She was feeling unwell," Francesco answered. "_Signor_ Grimaldi did not think it would have been a good idea to send her home in the state she was in, so he graciously found her a room in his house where she will stay until she is feeling well enough to return."

"Oh …" Valentina trailed off, unsure of what to think. This was a very believable story; it was not completely unfathomable for Ambra to have fallen ill. "Do you think that I should go to her?"

"No," Francesco responded. "There will be plenty of people there to see to her every whim. I can assure you that she will be well taken care of. I would not have it any other way." Valentina just nodded as she turned and started heading up the stairs. Ambra had given her instructions, and she was going to follow them, even if the story _was_ believable. She knew that her mistress would have done everything in her power to make it home, seeing as the instructions she left were so explicit. She would do her job and leave the rest to the mysterious assassin.

Francesco watched the maid as she retreated to Ambra's quarters, and decided that it might behoove him to follow her. She seemed rather disconcerted that her mistress had not returned to the house. He followed her up the stairs.

When he walked into Ambra's room, Francesco was pleased to see that Valentina was the only one there. She was throwing curtains back, preparing to open the windows.

"What are you doing that for?" he asked.

"I do this every night," she answered without skipping a beat. "Ambra likes there to be fresh air in the room."

"You will not refer to my wife by her Christian name, thank you," Francesco snapped. Valentina murmured apologies. "And she is not here, I don't think she will mind if there is no fresh air in her rooms. _Chiudi le finestre."_ Valentina nodded and closed the windows. She figured this wasn't too much of a problem. He would leave tomorrow and she would be able to open the windows then.

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

"Will you stop that?" Rosa demanded as the two of them stood in Antonio's office. Ezio was pacing back and forth, absently staring at the wooden floor. "You're making me anxious."

"Hm?" Ezio murmured as he looked up at her. He had been so involved in his thoughts that he hadn't realized what he was doing. His feet stilled. "Sorry, _piccola_."

"What are you so nervous about, anyway?" Rosa asked. Ezio hadn't said anything, but she knew him well enough to be able to tell when something was troubling him.

"I sent Ambra to Grimaldi's home with some explicit instructions, and I'm just worried that she hasn't followed them," he explained vaguely. "She's not like us. She doesn't do well with orders. She's spoiled and stubborn and does what she wants. I wouldn't put it past her to do the exact opposite of what I told her to."

"And what was that?" Rosa inquired, curious. She had seen so little of Ezio lately that she had no idea what was going on in his life, or what little side projects he was conducting with his little strumpet. Needless to say she was curious, to say the least.

"That she should leave a certain woman alone," Ezio responded. "And that is all you need to know."

"Uh oh …" Rosa trailed off. "You strayed from her and she found out about it?"

"I did not stray from her," Ezio assured her. "But someone told her that I did. Her husband, to be precise, which is a little alarming."

"He knows about you?"

"Ambra doesn't think that he does," Ezio answered, "but surely he at least suspects something or he would not have tried to plan the seed of doubt in her mind. In order to get to the bottom of this, I asked that she leave things to me."

"But you don't trust her."

"Not with her own well-being," Ezio responded. "If I were asking her to do something that would keep _me_ safe, then I wouldn't worry. However, she is very … reckless. She thinks herself invincible and insusceptible to the whims of others."

"With such a pretty face, she might be," Rosa pointed out. Ezio just shook his head.

"Not where the Templars are concerned," Ezio promised her. "You know what they are capable of, Rosa. I just don't want to see her fall into their hands."

"Yes, you would have to find something new to stick your_ ucello_ into," Rosa muttered.

"Oh, no I wouldn't," Ezio responded coolly. "I know that you're always available when I need a convenient hole." Before Ezio could even think, he felt something come in contact with the side of his face. After the fact, he realized that it was Rosa's fist."

"Perhaps you forget who I am," Rosa said mildly with a smirk as Ezio rubbed his cheek and glared at her. Obviously he was not going to hit her back, but he would have liked to. Very much, actually. "You're spending too much time around your delicate little flower. I will never hesitate to hit you."

"That's probably why I moved onto the delicate flower," Ezio murmured as Antonio entered the room.

"I can't leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?"

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

Ambra did not expect that she would be left alone for long, and she was right. The next morning, shortly after she had woken up and picked at her breakfast – she was not feeling well -- Adamo Grimaldi walked in.

"It seems that the top floor of my house is filling up quite nicely …" he trailed off as he ambled lazily in and sat down in one of the plush chairs. Ambra didn't bother asking what he meant. He must have been talking about his wife's alleged imprisonment somewhere close by. "I hope that you have found the accommodations satisfying."

Ambra slowly looked around the room in order to buy herself some time to respond. The room _was_ very nice. It was decorated incredibly lavishly in shades of gold and brown, with a huge four-poster bed right as the focal point. The duvet, made of shiny gold silk and decorated with intricate _fleur de lis_ and swirling lines, must have cost a small fortune, as with most of the objects in the room.

"I suppose that it will do," she answered with a shrug. Adamo just laughed.

"Do you know why you're here?" he finally asked after he had gotten control over himself.

"Can't say that I do," Ambra responded defiantly. "Though I'd love to."

"I'm sure that you would," Adamo muttered. "Do you know _anything_ about your current situation?"

"I know that you suspect me of having an affair with Ezio Auditore," Ambra answered succinctly, figuring there was no use in hiding _that._

"_Molto bene,"_ Adamo responded. "And so we've come up with a little test for our hypothesis. I think it will work."

"We're just going to wait and see if Ezio comes for me?" Ambra asked.

"Yes," Adamo responded. "Unfortunately, your husband has placed a limit on the amount of time that I can keep you here. But I think two days will be good enough. I doubt he could go too long without his little whore to keep him satisfied."

"Especially since you deprived him of your wife," Ambra said, raising her eyebrow. Adamo's response to this – a smile – was enough to reinforce that Ezio was telling the truth. A man who had truly been cuckolded would not smile in answer to being reminded of the unfortunate business. "You're going to be disappointed, though. I haven't even been within ten feet of Ezio since before I married Francesco."

"I guess that we'll see about that, won't we?" he asked as he stood up and approached Ambra, who was standing awkwardly next to the bed. "Auditore knows that you are in _Venezia_." He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind Ambra's ear. "If he is anything like me, he would not waste his time in renewing old acquaintances with such a beautiful girl."

Ambra felt as if she had just been dumped into one of the canals as Adamo's hand settled at the base of her neck. However, she did her best to remain calm and not react, for she knew that was what he wanted.

"I can assure you, you are nothing like Ezio Auditore."

"I thought that you said you hadn't spoken to him in years?" Adamo reminded her.

"I haven't," Ambra assured him, "but I knew him."

"You _knew_ him," Adamo repeated. "Men are very capable of changing."

"No they're not," Ambra spat as she finally lost her nerve and slapped Adamo's hand away from her body. Adamo seemed amused by this and put his _other_ hand behind her neck, while the one she had just slapped away found its way towards her waist. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, _madonna?"_ he inquired, speaking into her hair, taking in her marvelous scent. She even _smelled_ red, he realized. Most women chose to perfume themselves with the sweet scents of flowers, but Ambra had a much spicier aroma. It reminded him of ginger and sandalwood. Ambra firmly placed her hands on his chest and pushed away.

"I'm married, _Signore_," she reminded him. "My husband would not be pleased if-"

"You may have your husband wrapped around your finger," Adamo began as Ambra retreated against the wall, "but I have him pressed _under_ mine. If I inform him that he needs to share, he's not going to have anything to say about it."

"Even if he doesn't, _I_ certainly have something to say about it," Ambra said firmly, preparing herself for a struggle. She wondered if Adamo was serious, or if this was another test to see where her loyalties were. Indeed, she _could_ threaten him with any retribution Ezio might exact on him if he violated her body. Obviously that was out of the question. She hoped that if she kept insisting that Francesco would kill him, he would lose interest.

"And what do _you_ have to say about it?" Adamo inquired, leering suggestively at Ambra.

"That I would rather die than let a degenerate like you touch me," she growled. This earned her a blow to the face. It came quickly and she hadn't been expecting it. For a moment the world went white, and then she was able to refocus again. By the time she had regained her senses, Adamo was standing right in front of her, pinning her to the wall with his body.

"I am not your husband," Adamo reminded her. "You won't get away with things like that here." Suddenly, the illness Ambra had been feeling before Adamo arrived returned. Instead of trying to fight it, though, she just surrendered to it. When she vomited right at Adamo's feet, he backed up immediately, staring at her in disgust.

If Ambra could have laughed, she would have. However, she clearly was not in a position to do so. Luckily there was not much to throw up, but when she was done she was sufficiently pleased with the result. Adamo did not seem too keen on being near her and the carpet would probably have to be replaced.

Adamo, wondering if she had done that on purpose, continued to back towards the door. Obviously he was not going to touch her, now. She needed to be cleaned up, first, and then he would try again. He had no other ideas of how to get her to admit to an affair with Auditore. The threat of physical harm was all that he had.

"We're not done here," he promised before he closed the door.

)0()0()0()0()0(

Valentina waited impatiently for Francesco to leave the house. She was worried that he actually wasn't going to go anywhere. But, to her relief, right before noon he strolled out the front door, leaving Valentina to carry out the instructions she had received the night before.

The window had only been open for about twenty minutes before she heard the door to Ambra's chambers creak open. Valentina was impressed. He must have been keeping tabs on her.

When Ezio walked into the room, she couldn't help but stare at him. He was positively beautiful. Momentarily, a pang of jealousy for Ambra flared within her. She was rich, beautiful, had a husband who bought her everything she could possibly want, and a lover that could give her everything that her husband couldn't. Why should she have such a life while Valentina was destined to be nothing more than a servant?

Valentina quickly snapped herself out of it, because she realized that Ezio was talking to her.

"Where is Ambra?" he demanded for the second time since he realized that Valentina was the only person in the room. His head swiveled on his neck, looking for threats. However, they really were the only ones in the room. Ezio went back to the door and locked it. At least if someone tried to come in, he would have a bit of warning.

"She never came back last night," Valentina blurted. "I'm not exactly sure where she is."

"Did Francesco return?" Ezio asked.

"Yes," Valentina replied.

"_Merda!"_ Ezio exclaimed as he put his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. Anger was starting to build within him. He _knew_ that Ambra would not listen to him. It had been stupid of him to think that she would be able to stay out of trouble. She practically went _looking_ for it. "What did Francesco tell you when you asked where she was?" This was, of course, assuming that Valentina had asked, but in this case he was right to assume.

"He told me that she hadn't been feeling well and that she was going to be staying at Grimaldi's until she is well enough to come back," Valentina replied. "She told me before she left that if she didn't return with Francesco that I was to tell you."

Now Ezio opened his eyes and glared at the maid as if this were all her fault.

"She told you _before_ she left?" Ezio demanded.

"Well, she couldn't very well tell me _after_ she left, _Signore_," Valentina reminded him as she looked down at the floor and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Now is not the time for clever remarks," Ezio snapped.

"Well don't yell at me!" Valentina exclaimed. "I'm just doing what I was told!" Ezio was surprised at the outburst and raised an eyebrow.

"You're right. It is not your fault that your mistress is the most stubborn woman to ever live," Ezio muttered as he started pacing the room, unsure of what his next move ought to be. It _was_ possible that she really hadn't been feeling well and was just recuperating before returning home.

But, Ezio knew Ambra better than that. Even if she _hadn't_ gone looking for Elettra, which he was sure that she had, she was very capable of finding some other way to get herself into trouble. She wasn't very subtle or good at hiding things. And there was no way Francesco would leave his wife in the hands of another man voluntarily.

Besides, his instincts were telling him that something was amiss. He always listened to his instincts above all other things.

"I asked her what she would like you to do, should there be trouble," Valentina stated, and Ezio perked up for a moment, ready for whatever pearls of wisdom this girl might offer. "But she said she was hoping that you would know." Ezio slumped and plopped himself onto Ambra's chaise. Closing his eyes and hanging his head back, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, thinking.

His instincts were telling him that something was wrong, but they also told him that he should just wait it out to see what happened.

However, he knew that he wasn't going to be able to do that. This was one instance in which he couldn't listen to his instincts. He didn't know what was happening in that house. What if they were interrogating her? What if they were applying force to get what they wanted from her? He couldn't take the risk of her getting hurt if there was something he could do about it. The worst that would happen if he did something was a blown cover. The worst that could happen if he did nothing was lasting physical damage.

He couldn't let anything happen to that pretty face, not that she didn't deserve a few smacks, of course. But, if anyone was going to be administering disciplinary actions, it was going to be him.

"So, _do_ you know what to do?" Valentina asked. Ezio opened one eye and glared at the maid with it. She did not back down, though. "Do you think that she is in danger."

"I don't know," he answered. "She might be, and then she might not be. I'm not sure about what to do right now. What would _you_ do?"

"Well," Valentina answered, staring at the ceiling in thought, "she went in there knowing that she might be walking into trouble, yet she didn't take any steps to stay out of it, it seems. I think that it would serve her right to let her sit there for a few days. Any longer than that, then action should be taken, but it would be silly to risk exposure if you don't know there is a reason."

"What if she _did_ try to avoid it, but her captors had it in mind that they were going to keep her there no matter what she did?" Ezio asked.

"I don't think Francesco is going to let anything bad happen to her," Valentina stated. "He is too proud, and she is his wife."

"He wouldn't let anyone _else_ do the damage, I agree," Ezio assured her, "but what if _he_ is the one doing the damage? I know for a fact that he is not above that."

"Well, perhaps instead of pestering _me_ about it, you should follow _Signor_ De Luca and see what he does with his time all day? I certainly have no idea where he goes." Ezio had to admit that she had a good point there. A good way to find out what kind of situation he was dealing with would be to follow Francesco.

"You know what? _Hai ragione_," Ezio muttered as he pushed himself off of the couch and headed towards the door of the room. Valentina wanted to say something to try and make him stay. She liked having his attention, even if it was only because she was his only link to Ambra. "Thank you, Valentina." And just like that, he was gone. She went to the door so that she could watch him leave, but when she reached the corridor, he was nowhere to be found. He really was like smoke.

She found herself hoping that he didn't go to save Ambra.

)0()0()0()0(

Shortly after Adamo left her, Ambra was given fresh clothes to wear. The chemise she was wearing belonged to Elettra Grimaldi, who was definitely much fuller in the bust than she was, but at least it was clean. She looked longingly across the room at her beautiful red dress. Luckily, it had not incurred too much damage, but she knew that she was not going to be able to wear it for a long while. This constant sickness had her more sure than ever that she was pregnant.

Reclining in the bed, propped against a mountain of pillows, she absently stroked her stomach. She had a monstrous headache and she was pretty sure a bruise from when Adamo struck her, but she didn't care. Ambra was positively euphoric at the idea that she was going to _finally_ be a mother. Over the past few years, she had managed to hide her discontent with the fact that she had no children, but it was there.

And now she was going to have her chance.

Needless to say, nothing could bring her down at the moment.

Or at least that was what she thought before she saw Adamo walk back into the room. Immediately, her mood darkened. She was hoping that she could just sit in silent joy for the next day and a half until she was released.

"You're back …" she trailed off.

"Did you expect that you would get off that easily?" Adamo asked. "No, I'm assuming that you cannot vomit on command."

"Maybe today I can," she corrected him.

"Even so, I am very agile," he promised her.

"Well, keep your hands off of me and you probably will have no need for fast reflexes," Ambra replied. She had not moved, and was still propped comfortably on the pillows. "I assume that you have some questions to ask me."

"What a smart woman …" Adamo trailed off as he sat at the foot of the bed, doing his best to seem unthreatening. He was reluctant to use violence if he didn't have to. There was already a bruise forming on her cheek from where he hit her. Doubtless, Francesco would not be pleased about that. He was exceedingly unreasonable when it came to this woman. If anyone ever wanted to hit Elettra in the name of the greater good, he would have no problem with that.

Francesco was another matter entirely. Extremely territorial and possessive. Adamo really didn't understand, so it was something he had decided not to think too hard about. He would do what he had to do, and he would deal with Francesco afterwards.

"So, answer me honestly. When was the last time you saw Ezio Auditore?"

"Honestly …" Ambra trailed off. "I guess that it was a few days ago. I saw him standing outside of my house. Or rather he was walking."

"Walking where?" Francesco demanded.

"How should I know?" Ambra replied. "Like I said, I haven't spoken to him in seven years."

"But you've seen him."

"He's rather conspicuous," Ambra pointed out. "I mean, it's difficult to miss a man when he's dressed like that."

"Well, he manages to stay out of sight where my guards are concerned," Adamo stated. "He must have wanted you to see him."

"Now, why would he want that?" Ambra inquired. There was a flurry of movement, and an instant later, Adamo's hands were on her neck. Agile indeed.

"You are either testing my tolerance for games or my patience," Adamo hissed, "both of which, I can assure you, _madonna_, are extremely low."

"I don't know what you want from me," Ambra struggled to get the words out as Adamo's hand closed about her trachea.

"I think that you know exactly what I want," Adamo told her. "Tell me everything you know about Ezio Auditore."

"I don't know anything about him."

"Don't _lie_ to me, _puttana sudicia!"_ Adamo shouted as his grip tightened. Ambra could feel that she was getting lightheaded.

"Let _go!_" Ambra grunted as she struggled against him, her knee making contact with the soft spot between Adamo's legs. This was completely accidental, but it had an immediate effect. He crumbled into a ball, and Ambra made a run for the door. It didn't matter to her that she was wearing nothing but a borrowed chemise. She needed to get out of there. Not only did she need to protect herself, but also there was a baby inside of her, now. All of her instincts screamed that she needed to take care of the little person she carried.

Once through the door of the bedroom, she closed it and used the key Adamo had left in the lock to trap him inside. She took a few quick steps away from the door, but then once she was a safe distance away, she started walking. She made her way towards the servants' stairs in order to avoid detection, walking softly and carefully, keeping her eyes and ears peeled.

Once down the stairs, she decided that the least conspicuous way to leave would be to use the front door. After all, the servants always used and congregated around other entrances. The front door was where the house made its first impression, and servants were not allowed to idle there for too long. She was glad that the room she had been staying in was on the mostly empty third floor. It would be a while before someone heard Adamo's screaming.

On her way towards the front door, Ambra spotted a cloak and pulled it on over the chemise. It was bad enough that she was going barefoot. She didn't need to attract extra attention by walking around Venice in her underwear.

It was late afternoon, so the street in front of Adamo's _palazzo_ was still relatively busy. Hopefully busy enough so that she could escape notice. She walked in a random direction for a while, not sure where to go. Home didn't seem like an option, as Francesco was obviously in league with Grimaldi. He might have even brought her back there.

Ambra found herself wishing that she had made more friends. The only person she could turn to now was Ezio, and she had no idea how to find him.

But, she did know someone who might.

Immediately, she turned her feet in the direction of the Dursoduro district, toward _La Rosa Della Virtù._ They had given her safe haven once before, she was hoping that knowing Ezio would once again earn her at least a bed for the night. Then, hopefully, she could get a hold of Ezio. If he was planning some sort of rescue mission, she needed to abort that promptly.

…..

Dov'è: Where is …?

Chiudi le finestre: Close the windows

Ucello: Dick (vulgar)

Hai ragione: you are right

Puttana sudicia: Filthy whore


	20. Ti Fidi Di Me?

Remembering the last time she had ventured out into Venice alone, Ambra made sure to stay in places where there were plenty of people everywhere she went. Of course, this meant that she got a lot of stares, but that was better than being raped. She was rash, and maybe a little lost, but definitely not stupid.

She wished that she had paid more attention when Ezio had brought her home after her last brush with death. There were a few landmarks that seemed familiar to her, but those weren't telling her what direction to go. The only way those worked was if she was _already_ going in the right direction. If she was, it was entirely luck.

"You need to become a little more useful, Ambra …" she trailed off as she stepped on something sharp. Hissing in pain, she looked down to see a piece of broken glass on the street. Well there was something else to think about as she tried to find her way through the city. She cursed herself for not knowing more about the place in which she lived. She could have navigated Monteriggioni with her eyes closed, crawling backwards, but she had barely stepped outside in Venice. She had nowhere to go, and the only places she really wanted to go, Ezio would not let her.

Obviously, leading such a sheltered life was not to her benefit at the moment.

So, keeping her eyes both on the street in front of her as well as the buildings and landmarks around her, Ambra made her way through the Dursoduro district. She felt as if she had been walking in circles, and it was very probable that she had made a few round trips, but somehow, eventually, she managed to reach her destination. After many leers from the men around the district and apprehensive glares from the women, she found what she was looking for.

Unsure of what the protocol was when asking for refuge at a whorehouse, Ambra decided that walking straight in would be the best way to deal with things. Hell, maybe Ezio was already there.

Though she hoped that wasn't the case.

When she entered the familiar parlor, Ambra immediately felt some eyes fall on her. They were mostly female eyes, and she wondered if any of them recognized her. Judging by the wary looks they were giving her, she guessed that they didn't. It obviously wasn't often that a woman who didn't work there walked in barefoot. Probably women who _did_ work there didn't walk in barefoot, either.

The news must have traveled quickly, though, for soon the Madame was standing right in front of her. Ambra knew it was Sister Teodora; she remembered her from the previous visit. She hoped that the good sister recalled her as well.

"Look who it is," she greeted Ambra. "I hope that you haven't gotten yourself into trouble again." She looked down at Ambra's feet, which were filthy from the walk over. Ambra looked down at them as well. "Never mind, it appears that you have. Tell me, Ambra, what could possibly persuade a woman of your station to go walking through the streets of _Venezia_ barefoot," she lifted the cloak, "clothed in little more than underwear."

"I promise you, it is a positively scintillating story," Ambra answered, "but at the moment, I was wondering if you could offer me a place to stay. I can't … I can't go home at the moment."

"Of course you may," Teodora answered. Really, she didn't want to give Ambra a room, but she knew what Ezio would do if he found out that she had turned his pet away.

"_Grazie mille_," Ambra said gratefully as she followed Sister Teodora up the stairs. "I was also wondering if there was any way to get a message to Ezio that I am here. I know that you two are friends. Of course if you can't that's fine …" Ambra was afraid of sounding too needy, so she didn't finish the sentence. After all, this woman was already offering her a place to stay.

"It is very difficult to pin Ezio down, most of the time," Teodora informed her. "However, I will let all of my girls know that if they see him, they should let him know that you are here and in obvious distress." They came to a room and Teodora opened the door for her. It was simple, with a small but clean bed in the corner. "Now, you are going to tell me what you are doing here." Teodora didn't know much about Ambra, but what she _did_ know led her to believe that whatever had just happened to her, Ezio would be extremely interested to know about it, and not just because of his infatuation with her.

Ambra regarded Sister Teodora carefully. Ezio trusted her, so she was sure that she could as well, but the look on her face was not at all welcoming or comforting. No, Teodora was all business.

"Well … can I give you the short version?"

"I would prefer that, actually," Teodora answered as she closed the door and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Well, Adamo Grimaldi is suspicious of me. He thinks that I am having an affair with Ezio, so he locked me in a bedroom on the third floor of his house. The objective was to question me and also try and lure Ezio to him. That's why I need to let Ezio know that I am here. It would be awful if he uncovered our secret for no reason."

"Noted," Teodora said with a nod.

"Anyway … Adamo was … questioning me, and he was getting a little rough. There was a struggle and I got lucky. He left the door to the room open, I ran out, locked it behind me, and I came here." Ambra was extremely glad when the look on Teodora's face changed from dour to slightly impressed. So that was where the bruise on her face had come from. "I was barefoot because I vomited all over my own clothes and had to change."

"That I could have done without," Teodora promised her. "I will send up something for you to bathe with. You will not leave this room, do you understand? This isn't a place for you to be wandering around." The last thing she wanted to deal with was Ezio's wrath if he found out that a drunken client had mistaken this girl for a prostitute.

"Yes," Ambra responded as Teodora reopened the door. "Thank you so much."

"Any friend of Ezio's is a friend of mine."

)0()0()0()0()0(

"You want my help in freeing your little trollop?" Rosa asked Ezio as she raised an eyebrow. The two of them were standing in the market. Business was starting to wind down for the day and they could converse easily.

"Yes," Ezio answered. "And she's not a trollop."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ezio …" Rosa trailed off. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I just need you to get in there. Disguise yourself as a servant. It will be easy to get inside, and scout the place out. Figure out where she is. If she seems safe and unharmed, then you can leave her there. If it seems like she's in trouble, get her out. Or come to me and I'll get her out. I'll be waiting outside for your signal."

"And if I get caught?"

"Are you saying that you might get caught?" Ezio inquired. "Since when have you started admitting that there are things that you might not be able to do?" Rosa smirked. He had her there. "But if you _do _get caught, you are-"

"There to steal from the house," Rosa finished for him. "Got it. I suppose that I can do this for you, but you owe me."

"We'll start a tab," Ezio assured her. "I have a feeling the favors are going to start piling up shortly."

)0()0()0()0()0()0(

Ezio and Rosa were standing in front of Grimaldi's palazzo, staring up at the impressive façade.

"How the hell am I supposed to know where to look?" Rosa asked. She was getting cranky. She wasn't really in the mood for this, not to mention she was wearing a dress and a god-awful cap so that she could blend in more easily with the servants.

"Stop being so difficult, Rosa," Ezio suggested. "You know _exactly_ how this is done. You've done it multiple times. Doubtless, there is a service entrance somewhere on the back or sides of the house. Enter through that way, avoid people who _actually_ work there, and find what you can. This is pretty standard. If you run into trouble, make noise. I'll come in." Ezio anxiety was evident. He was practically shaking with nerves as he spoke to Rosa, wishing that she would just cooperate. There were plenty of times when he had done her favors with no questions asked. Right now he needed her to do the same.

Rosa just shook her head as she started walking away from Ezio. The less time she spent complaining to him, the less time it would take to get this done and the quicker she could get this over with. As she walked in through the servants' entrance undeterred, she wondered if she would actually give Ezio an accurate account of what she observed in the house or if she would just tell him that Ambra wasn't there no matter what.

Admittedly, having her out of the way was preferable. Ezio was completely smitten with her. Not only had he been giving her less attention, but also Antonio was starting to feel the loss of Ezio's constant help, as were the rest of the thieves. Every free moment was spent either in her presence or worried about what mischief she was getting into next. This little incident was only proving her point. Ezio constantly told her that Ambra's position amongst the Templars was too advantageous to give up, but she knew that there was more to it than that.

If Ezio didn't really care about her, he wouldn't be bothering with risking himself or Rosa to get her back. He had feelings for her. Strong ones. When she thought about it, Rosa felt a tightening in her chest. She wasn't sure about what she wanted from Ezio, but she knew that it was _something_. And now, this stupid girl who couldn't even take care of herself had managed to steal his heart.

It just didn't make any sense! Was Ezio really as susceptible as other man to the pretty face of a delicate damsel in distress? At first she hadn't thought so, but apparently she was capable of being wrong about him.

As she moved through the house, Rosa realized that the outside was definitely not the grandest part of the building. The Grimaldi family was clearly not hurting. Their influence obviously had not suffered too much when Ezio killed Carlo. As she walked around, Rosa picked up any small trinket she thought might be able to fetch a price.

After a few minutes of that, though, Rosa knew that she had to get to work. If she stayed inside too long, Ezio would undoubtedly get worried, and he was not the patient type. He would come in after her if he thought there was any chance that she might need help.

She found the servant stairs and headed for the second story, listening closely for anything that might lead her to what she was looking for. She stood perfectly still on the landing, concentrating. She wasn't sure, but she though that she might be able to hear some loud thumping noises coming from the next story up. As she started for the stairs that would lead her up, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"_Dove lo pensate state andando?"_ a dour, older man demanded of her. Rosa froze momentarily, surprised. It took her a moment to process the question.

"I thought that I heard something upstairs," she finally said when she realized that the man had mistaken her for a servant.

"Stupid girl," the man spat as he dragged her away from the stairs. It took all of Rosa's strength to keep herself from drawing her knife and slicing his arrogant throat. She was not here to make a scene; she was there to gather information on Ambra's whereabouts. "Didn't you get the instructions that _no one_ is to go up there no matter what they hear unless directed by the master _himself?_"

"Oh … silly me," Rosa said meekly. "I came late today so I am a little behind."

"_Ragazza stupida,"_ he said again. "Get to the kitchens where you belong." He shoved her towards the stairs leading down, and Rosa went so that she could diffuse the suspicion. Obviously there was something going on on the third story of the house, and she needed to get up there. However, that wasn't going to be easy. No one was allowed up there without explicit instructions from Adamo Grimaldi, something she most likely wasn't going to get … unless she could find him.

Once she hit the first floor, she immediately started looking around for a room that might serve as an office. She assumed that was the best place to start looking for the owner of the house. But, after a rudimentary search, she concluded that he was not around, at least not on the first story. Her eyes rose towards the ceiling.

He was upstairs.

Without thinking, Rosa turned back around and started heading towards the servants' staircase. As she did so, she passed by the room that she gathered, from her first search, was Grimaldi's office. Her practicality would not let her pass this room by without at least taking a look around, so she carefully pushed the door open, walked in, and closed it softly behind her.

The room was cozier than she thought it would be. She had never met Adamo Grimaldi, but she had learned to believe that Templars were soulless scum. This was not the office of a soulless man. It was cluttered with an assortment of objects. Rosa wondered if any of them meant something to him. She refrained from taking anything in this room just in case they did. The small knick-knacks she had grabbed around the house most likely would not be missed, but something gone from this room might.

Her first target was the large desk towards the back of the room. It stood in front of a huge window overlooking a canal. Before doing anything, Rosa drew the curtains closed and then started looking through the drawers. They were filled with papers; letters and correspondence from names that she had heard Ezio mention before. Borgia was the one that stuck out most in her mind. As she read the letter, though, she couldn't really make much sense of the contents. They were in Spanish. Though Rosa could gather a gist of what the letters said, it would take more time to decipher the details, which were undoubtedly the most important parts.

She stashed a few of the most recent letters in a pocket on her apron to give to Ezio, and then moved on to all the different drawers. The rest of the stuff was boring. There were bills, invoices … most of them having to do with a warehouse on the docks. Obviously Grimaldi was some sort of businessman. These were commonplace. There had to be more like the letters from Borgia.

Rosa was just about to open another drawer when she heard footsteps drawing near.

Cursing silently under her breath, Rosa closed the door quietly and quickly looked around for a place to hide. There was a cabinet to her left, and she was sure that she would have been able to fit in there were she wearing her normal clothes. As it was, she doubted she would be able to squeeze in.

Then, she spotted a closet and hastened towards it. Luckily it wasn't locked. She forced herself in amongst all of the jackets that were hanging inside, and then closed the door, but not all the way. Rosa left a small crack so that she could see what was going on in the room.

The door to the office opened and in walked a stunning woman with shiny black hair, dressed in the latest fashion. She was speaking to a man who had followed her into the room.

"I'm sorry that my husband cannot see to you personally," she told him. So this must have been Grimaldi's wife. "Right now he is preoccupied with that little traitorous whore. The noise coming from that room is maddening. She must be difficult to break."

"The assassins are known for their resistance to questioning and torture," the man stated with a shrug. "And I fully understand. There is no need to apologize for your husband, _Signora_. I'm sure that you can give me what I need just as well as he could."

"Yes, I'm sure that I could," Elettra assured him as she went into a drawer in the desk and pulled out a small, locked box. She withdrew a key from one of the pockets of her dress and opened the box. Rosa assumed that there was money inside, and she was surprised when instead of pulling out bills or coins, she pulled out a sealed letter. "You will deliver this to your master's hand personally. No one else will read it."

"Of course, _Signora_," the messenger answered with a curt nod. "I know how delicate these matters are." He put the letter into a pocket on the inside of his jacket and patted his chest. "This is safe with me."

"_Va bene,"_ Elettra murmured as she gestured towards the door and then followed the messenger out of the room. Once she was sure the coast was clear, Rosa exited the closet quickly. All of her instincts were telling her to follow the messenger. He was carrying information that was probably very important to Ezio.

Rosa didn't even think twice. She left the office and found the servants' door. When she was outside, she hastened towards the front of the house, pleased that when she reached the front door, the messenger was just leaving.

Spotting Ezio, she made her way towards him. He saw her coming and stood up straight, looking like he was ready for action at any moment.

"Is she in there?" he demanded of Rosa.

"Yes, she is," Rosa answered, "but Ezio, something more important is going on right now. Did you see the man who just left the house?"

"Yes," Ezio answered shortly, but other than that he ignored the question. "How do you know she is in there? Is she safe? Is he hurting her? What did you see?"

"I didn't see anything," Rosa answered, frustrated. "I heard Elettra talking about her being upstairs. Said that her husband was busy with 'that traitorous whore'. I mean … I heard some noises, but I couldn't get up to the third floor to investigate. Ezio-"

"What kind of noises?" Ezio pursued.

"I don't know! There was pounding, maybe a little shouting, but it sounded like a man's voice." Her head swiveled on her neck to try and spot the messenger before he was out of sight, and she did. But he was getting farther and farther away by the second, and Ezio seemed too preoccupied with the people who were still inside the house.

"Pounding and shouting?" Ezio repeated. "And you didn't think to try and figure out what for?"

"Well I was _trying_, but then I-"

"I'm going in there," he cut her off as he started walking towards the house. "Where is the servants' entrance?"

"Ezio, listen to me!" Rosa exclaimed as she grabbed onto his sleeve and anchored herself to the ground and firmly as she could. However, Ezio was much stronger than she was, and he was determined to get into that house as well. All reason was out the window, and Rosa knew that she was going to have to try harder to get him to stop. She put both of her hands on one of his and pulled as hard as she could, unbalancing him and almost taking him down, but he managed to catch himself before falling.

"What are you doing, Rosa?" he demanded as he looked around to see if anyone had seen him struggling against the woman.

"If you would listen to me for a second, I would tell you!" she exclaimed. "I was in Adamo's office, looking around, when his wife came in. She gave a messenger a letter and told him that no one but his master was to read it. The contents were delicate. He just left the house. If you follow me we can still catch him! Maybe we can question him!" Rosa pointed in the direction that she had seen the man disappear, and Ezio raised his eyes to look, but then looked back at Rosa apologetically.

"Rosa," he said slowly. "I appreciate your assistance here, and I can understand your urgency … but if he is hurting her … Rosa I can't let that happen. Do you understand? Any information we might be passing up now, she could get for us _easily_. Ambra's too important to leave her in his hands for too long. I don't know where her breaking point is. _Capisce?"_

Rosa groaned exasperatedly. This was just an excuse. She knew why he wanted to go in and get her, and it infuriated her. He would jeopardize everything he worked for because of this stupid girl who got herself caught and couldn't get herself out of trouble now.

"No, Ezio, I don't understand," Rosa informed him. "I don't understand anything that you have done lately. What is so special about this girl that you would risk what you have-" But Ezio did not seem very interested in this particular point. He shook himself free of Rosa and continued walking towards the house.

"Ezio," she said calmly. "If you don't stop walking, I am going to start screaming. I am going to make a scene."

Ezio paused momentarily, but then continued walking. He figured that what he was about to do was going to cause a scene, anyway. Ready for whatever noise was about to come from Rosa, Ezio tensed up, but the next sound he heard was not Rosa's voice.

"Oh, Ezio!" A light, twinkly voice called to him from far away. His curiosity got the best of him and he stopped to turn around. When he saw who it was, he was a little confused. One of Teodora's courtesans was approaching him, a bright smile on her face.

"_Mi dispiace, cara._ I am busy right now," he told her. Ezio didn't remember her name, otherwise he might have used it.

"Oh, I know that," she answered.

"You do?" Ezio inquired.

"Yes, actually, that is what I'm here about," she told him. "Apparently you think that there is someone of interest to you in this building."

"Actually, I _know_ that there is someone of interest to me in this building," Ezio assured her. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He started to walk away.

"But there isn't." He stopped in his tracks and looked back at the girl. Before he acted, he looked around. He felt that he had been out in the open for far too long, and was looking for a place where they could discuss this option in private. However, in this particular part of the city, there weren't many places to hide. In lieu of a hiding place, he decided to move this process along faster.

"Well are you going to tell me what the hell you're talking about?" Ezio barked. The courtesan flinched, but kept a smile on her face.

"Of course …" she trailed off. "Of course, I don't know much about your personal life, but I _do_ know that the particular girl you are looking for has red hair and the most ridiculous freckles."

"Yes, that's Ambra," Ezio nodded curtly. "I know what she looks like. Thank you."

"I would hope so," the courtesan murmured. "Well, she's not in there." Ezio raised an eyebrow and then turned around to look at Rosa, who just shrugged. She had heard what she heard, and there was nothing she could do about that.

"How do you know that?" Ezio demanded.

"Because she walked into _La Rosa della Virtù_ about an hour ago," she stated. "Sister Teodora dispatched a few of us to find you before you did anything … rash."

"Is she all right?" Ezio demanded.

"She looked a little worse for wear," the courtesan answered with a shrug. Ezio had turned around and started walking in the other direction, now, but he had completely forgotten about the messenger that Rosa had seen. Rosa watched him walk away with her fists balled at her sides.

If _he _wasn't going to do what he aught to, she was going to have to do it for him. As she turned and walked in the opposite direction, Ezio did not even realize that she was missing.

)0()0()0()0()0(

Having cleaned herself and dressed the wounds on her feet, Ambra was relaxing on the bed that had been supplied for her. She was just about to doze off to sleep when there was a loud, forceful knock on the door. Ambra opened one eye as she looked at the door, considering the wisdom of actually going to answer the knock.

She knew that she was locked in, and she knew that she was locked in for her own safety. Anyone who was _supposed_ to be entering the room would have a key or some other way of getting in. If it were one of the girls, they would have announced themselves.

No, it was best to stay right there on the bed.

The knocking persisted, transforming into pounding. Soon, it was accompanied by shouting. So whoever it was knew that she was in there.

If Ambra hadn't been sure that the option she had chosen was the best, she was sure now. She closed her eye and tried to tune out the noise. As soon as she had done this, she heard a scuffled outside of the door, accompanied by cursing.

"_Esca di qui, stronzo,"_ she heard Ezio snarl. Relief flooded over Ambra and she immediately stood from the bed. She went to the door but didn't open it. She could still hear the struggle that was going on in front of the door. Obviously, Ezio was winning, but the drunk was persistent. Finally, Ambra heard a loud crash, and that seemed to be the end of it. Then, there was another knock at the door. This one was much lighter, and it was accompanied by her name.

She unlocked the door and practically ripped it open. Without hesitation, Ezio stepped into the room, closed the door, and locked it behind them.

He turned to her again, his hand rising to her cheek, where an ugly, purple bruise had formed.

"I am so sick of people hitting you," he told her as he kissed the bruise gently.

"I'm not really too fond of it, either," she promised him as she looped her arms around him. "But it wasn't so bad."

"I don't care," Ezio murmured into her hair. "You're mine. I don't like people manhandling my things." Now that he knew she was safe, Ezio's initial anxiety for her well-being was gone. Slowly, his anger started creeping back into him. But, when he looked at her face, it ebbed away.

He couldn't look at her face.

He let go of her and turned around, bracing his hands against the wall. Ambra tilted her head.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"This all could have been avoided if you had only listened to me," he stated, looking at the floor. "You behave as you wish because you think that there won't be any consequences. Maybe in Monteriggioni that was the case, but things are dangerous here, _dolcezza_. You need to _listen_ to me, or you're going to end up with more than a bruise on your face."

Ambra crossed her arms in front of her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"You think that I didn't listen to you?" Ambra asked.

"It's pretty obvious, Ambra," he reminded her. "If you had done what I had told you to do, you would have made it out of there just fine. But you think you always know what is best. I hope that Elettra told you something good-"

"Hold on," Ambra cut him off. "I'm not sure what story _you_ got, but they didn't lock me up because I went looking for Elettra." Ezio turned back around, surprise evident on his face.

"They had _another_ reason for doing that?" Ezio demanded. "God … I don't know how you do it … perhaps it's your hair. It draws a lot of attention to you."

"I was wearing a bright red dress, as well," she answered with a smirk. Ezio shook his head.

"What happened?"

"I had followed Francesco and Adamo to his office," Ambra began as she sat down on the bed. "I was trying to see if I could catch them talking about anything that could be of interest to you. They caught me."

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Hear anything that might be of interest to me?"

"They mentioned that the box in the warehouse is completely empty. They just wanted to distract you … ring any bells?" Ambra inquired. Ezio raised an eyebrow, signaling that it did, in fact, ring a bell. "What was he talking about?"

"Your husband rented a warehouse on the docks. The ones where you entered the city," Ezio answered. "I've been trying to get in there discreetly since you arrived, but there is only one way in or out. I figured I would just wait to see what you could tell me about it."

"Yes. Well, that is what I have to tell you about it."

"Is that all?" Ezio asked, eager to hear more. This was certainly very interesting. If they were trying to distract him, there was obviously something he needed to be distracted _from_. He needed to know what that was. However, Ambra's response was an indifferent shrug.

"That's all that they said that you didn't know," she answered. "Francesco admitted to killing my father. That's how they caught me. I lost control of myself and gasped. Then I ran. Adamo found me and decided that I was suspicious and that was how I found my way in the third floor bedroom." Ezio was silent for a moment. That matter-of-factness with which Ambra relayed this story was slightly chilling. She seemed to not even care about it. "Later when Francesco came to talk to me, he swore that he was just lying to impress Adamo. I don't know what to believe."

"If I were you, I would find it pretty easy to decide," Ezio informed her.

"You know nothing about being me," Ambra reminded him. Ezio raised his eyebrows. "Well, you don't."

"How hard can it be?" Ezio inquired.

"Harder than you think," she answered as she went over to the window and leaned against the frame, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "I'm sure that you don't know what it's like to have absolutely no control over your life? To be thought of as little more than a sexual object or a trophy … to be used as a means to an end. Not to mention the constant threats of rape and general physical violence. It's not as easy as I make it look."

"He tried to rape you?" Ezio demanded sharply as he crossed the room and closed the space between himself and Ambra.

"Who hasn't tried to rape me, these days?" Ambra said, almost laughing. She knew that she was exaggerating. It had been a while since she had been threatened with rape, and Adamo hadn't so much threatened rape as touched her suggestively. However, she couldn't help but get a small thrill from the way Ezio bristled at the word. "Don't worry. I took care of it."

"I'm sorry," Ezio told her. "If I had known that was what was going on, I would have gone in sooner."

Ambra just shrugged. "Anyway. I'm sure you can imagine why I have a hard time believing anything that anyone says, given my current situation."

"Why wouldn't you believe me?" Ezio inquired. Ambra just looked at him sardonically. "Honestly, Ambra. What reason have I given you not to trust me?"

"You haven't given me a specific reason," Ambra assured him. "But you and I both know that if I wasn't so advantageously placed, you wouldn't be bothering with me. Why _wouldn't_ you try to plant the seed of doubt in my mind about my husband?"

"Do we both know that?" Ezio asked sarcastically. "I had not been aware of that particular bit of information. I wish I had. It would have saved me a lot of anxiety." Ambra scowled at him.

"This isn't funny, Ezio."

"I agree. You're insane. Or just stupid."

"Oh, yes. That's exactly the way to make this all better," Ambra scoffed.

"Look," Ezio said, his tone softer now. "Don't you think that it's a bit of a coincidence that I would tell you that Francesco killed your father, and then he admitted to it?" Ambra had nothing to say to that. Ezio sighed as he backed up and leaned against the wall. His hood was still up, which was good, as she couldn't see the scowl on his face. He didn't like that she didn't trust him. He _needed _her to trust him. "If I had known that you would be so combative when I arrived, I wouldn't have come."

"If I had known that you would automatically assume that I had gone against your orders if I got caught, I would have just looked for Elettra anyway," Ambra snapped in reply. "Why don't you trust me?"

"I think it's quite clear that neither of us trusts the other," Ezio observed. "If we are to have any degree of success, that is going to have to change."

"How do you propose we do that?" Ambra inquired. Once again, she crossed her arms in front of her. Ezio finally removed his hood as he walked towards her. She stepped into his embrace and rested her cheek against his chest.

"I don't have any ideas," he told her, speaking into her hair as he did so.

"I want to trust you, Ezio," she promised him. His arms tightened around her as he thought quickly. He was losing her and he knew it. Something had to be done. "It's just hard when most of the things you do have the potential to put me in a huge amount of danger."

This was his opening, he guessed. "You're right," he agreed. "I've been selfish by asking you to do these things for me. I haven't thought about the repercussions and effects on you. I'm not going to ask you for anything more."

Ambra panicked. She thought that was what she wanted, but the way he said it made it sound like he would no longer have a use for her. If he didn't have a use for her … she didn't even want to think about the consequences of that.

"I don't mind helping you!" Ambra assured him, craning her neck so that she could look up into his eyes. "I just need to know that I'm more than just a tool. I need to know that when we finally take care of all of this nonsense, you're not just going to forget all about me."

"I think that I've given you more than enough evidence of _that_," Ezio assured her as he cupped her cheek with his hand. The rough calluses felt strong and reassuring against her cheek, like they always did. When he touched her like that, she knew that he would always protect and take care of her. "Now it's all up to you."

Dove lo pensate state andando?: Where do you think you're going?

Esca di qui, stronzo: get out of here, asshole


	21. Nella Strada di Male

Ta-da! I know that it has been a very long time since I updated this. I am extremely sorry. I definitely want to get back into it, so here we go. Just a little chapter to get everyone back in the swing of things!

"So, what are we going to do?" Ambra asked Ezio as she went and sat back down on the bed. The excitement combined with the amount of activity she had done and her pregnancy had left her a little lightheaded.

"You know that I have to send you home," Ezio stated. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You'll tell your husband that Adamo hit you. Perhaps this will cause a rift between the two men, one that I can exploit."

"How?" Ambra inquired.

"I liked you better when you just followed orders," Ezio told her, a small smirk on his face.

"Blindly following orders isn't going to work for me, anymore," Ambra stated. "You have to know that I, too, now have some feelings about this situation. My husband murdered my father. God knows what else he has done. My conscience won't allow me to just sit back and do as I'm told anymore. Not even if the orders are coming from you." While she had been alone, Ambra resolved that it was finally time to start taking control over her life. For as long as she could remember, she was not accountable for anything that happened to her, and she didn't like it.

Better late than never, she supposed.

"Be that as it may," Ezio began, "I would rather not discuss this with you and put ideas into your head. I do not doubt your ability to help me, _dolcezza, _but I _do_ doubt your ability to realize the danger in certain situations. I would really rather that you just let me do all the thinking." Ambra raised her eyebrows and Ezio belatedly realized what that sounded like, but he didn't make any attempt to amend his statement. He _didn't_ trust Ambra not to push too hard, and if she did that, she would not only jeopardize Ezio, but herself as well.

And his child.

Ezio pushed that though from his head immediately. It was bad enough that he was so concerned for her already. The thought of the danger she could potentially put his unborn child into was perhaps a little too much to bear.

"No," Ambra answered simply.

"No?" Ezio asked.

"No," Ambra repeated. "I will not just allow you to order me around. I will _not_ just walk blindly into whatever you tell me to. I won't do it, Ezio!" Ezio couldn't help but smile at her, his smirk splitting his face crookedly as he pushed off of the door and sauntered over the bed.

"You have picked a very inconvenient time to start wanting to take a more active role in this," Ezio told her as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"If you think that I give a damn about convenience," Ambra began, "you have another think coming, Ezio Auditore." She raised her hand and stroked the side of his face, the stubble of his beard rasping beneath her fingers. Ezio closed his eyes and reveled momentarily in the sensation. "I've been in this from the start, it seems. There's no turning back, now. Eventually my husband will find out about us, and at that point, I'd like to be able to safely eliminate him."

"You want him dead?" Ezio asked, surprised.

"I do," Ambra answered. "I can't bear it anymore. When I think of what he's done …"

"So you believe _me_, now?" Ezio interrupted. Ambra sighed and nodded. "Finally you start to show some sense." Ezio stood up straight and kicked off his boots. He took off his cloak, as well, hanging it on the hook behind the door.

"What are you doing?" Ambra asked.

"I intend to bed you," Ezio responded bluntly as he pulled off his shirt with his back still towards her. When he turned around, Ambra was standing directly behind him. He jumped a little, laughing as he did so. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Turn around," Ambra ordered. Ezio thought of asking why, but thought better of it. He turned around, closing his eyes in rapture as her fingers started running along the skin of his back, tracing the scars that he knew existed but never saw. "It looks like you've had a few close calls."

"More than a few, _cara_," Ezio answered breathlessly.

"I feel like I'm heading right down that path with you," she murmured, her hands now pressed flat against his skin, no longer moving, just touching him. This statement brought a multitude of horrifying images to Ezio's mind. They were all images of her lying in pools of blood as red as her hair. Leaning his forehead against the cool wood of the door, he sighed. _"Non ho paura."_

"_You_ may not be scared," Ezio began as he finally turned around, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her into him. "But I don't think I have ever been more so." He walked her back towards the bed, lowering her onto it gently when they finally got there. He stood over her as she lay her head against the pillow. "It's not just me that I have to worry about anymore. There's one other person I need to take care of."

"Two other people," she reminded him as she placed her hands over her belly.

"Don't remind me," Ezio muttered as he lowered himself onto the bed, supporting all of his weight on one arm while he used his other hand to push up the material of the shift that Teodora had obviously lent to her. He had never seen her in anything like the translucent satin garment, but he quite liked it. "The situation is fragile enough as it is."

"It's not that fragile," Ambra told him.

"If you are involved, it is fragile," Ezio told her. "If this is to work, I'm can't be with you at all hours of the day. You're going to need _some_ alone time with your husband. And if I am not with you, I cannot protect you. When I am not with you, all I will be thinking about is what mischief you're getting yourself into. You seem to just stumble into it."

"Like you said, it's the hair."

"Then wear a cap," Ezio suggested seriously as his hand finally reached the inside of her thigh. Ambra's eyes closed as chills ran up and down her spine. "You have to help me, Ambra. You have to be smart."

"You'll find that I am a very clever girl." Her eyes were still closed, so she couldn't see Ezio's face getting closer to hers.

"Too clever," Ezio murmured, his lips grazing hers as he spoke. "Just promise me that you'll be careful."

"I'll be careful," she told him as she finally opened her eyes and stared straight at him. The intensity of her gaze was almost enough to make him look away, but he held it, and then lowered his lips onto hers, his skin igniting where they met.

"You'll have to be careful, too," Ambra murmured as she broke off the kiss. "After all, there is a baby in here."

Hours later, Rosa walked into _La Rosa della virtù_. She couldn't be sure if Ezio was still there, but she figured that it was as good a place as any to start.

"Rosa!" Teodora greeted her when she saw the girl. "What brings you here? Wait. Silly question. You are looking for Ezio."

"_Sì,"_ she answered. "Is he here?"

"Yes, but I doubt that he will want to be disturbed, if you know what I mean," Teodora responded. "He arrived rather frazzled. I'm not surprised that he needed so much time to show how … relieved he was." Rosa grimaced. She was used to blunt speech, seeing as she spent so much time around men, but she didn't like hearing about where Ezio was sticking his appendages.

"He will want to hear what I have to say," Rosa told Teodora as she brushed past her. "Which room is he in?" Teodora sighed. Rosa was very much like Ezio, and when she had a goal in mind, anyone who stood in their way would most likely end up flat on the floor.

"Up the stairs to the right … All the way at the end of the hallway," she sighed. There was no point in not telling her. It wasn't like Ezio was a paying customer. The door would most likely be locked when she got there, anyway.

Though Teodora was right to believe this, locked doors had never been real obstacles to Rosa. However, before she started picking the lock, she decided that she would just try knocking on the door.

"Go away," came a gruff voice from within. She immediately recognized it as Ezio's. Sighing, Rosa pulled her lock picking tools from her back pocket. Kneeling in front of the lock, she deftly inserted the tools and fiddled with the inner workings of the mechanism. It couldn't have been more than half a minute before the lock clicked and the door started to swing open.

She heard the activity stop, and then some shuffling. She knew that Ezio would be gathering his weapons, so from here she would need to proceed carefully.

"It's me," she called from the other side of the door. "I need to talk to you, Ezio."

"Rosa …" Ezio sighed. "You realize that I almost killed you just now, yes?"

"I realize that you were ready to _try_ and kill me," Rosa answered, still on the other side of the door teasingly. She and Ezio both knew that if he had in mind to kill her, it would not be a difficult task for him. "That is why I identified myself."

"Come in," Ezio ordered. Rosa pushed the door all the way open and saw Ezio standing in the middle of the room. He had his pants on, and was in the process of putting on his boots, but his shirt was hanging on Ambra's thin frame, preserving her modesty as she lay in the bed, the duvet covering her legs.

"_Ciao, _Rosa," Ambra greeted. Even half-naked, tousled from lovemaking, she still had an air of arrogance about her. Somehow, she still managed to look down her nose at Rosa from her lower vantage point. Rosa would have liked nothing more than to plunge her knife into her throat, but there were more important things to worry about at the moment. She chose to ignore Ambra.

"What was so important that it couldn't wait?" Ezio asked as he sat at the foot of the bed, placing one hand on the bump in the covers that was probably Ambra's leg.

"I followed the messenger that you couldn't be bothered with," Rosa responded, "and I think that you might be interested in what I found."

"You _think_?" Ezio inquired, raising on eyebrow. "You had better be a little surer than that."

"All right, I _know_ that you will be happy to hear what I found," Rosa corrected, afterwards making a covert glance towards Ambra. She wanted to talk about this alone with Ezio, but he wasn't having it.

"Anything you say to me, you can say in front of her," Ezio assured Rosa.

Sighing, Rosa closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "Well, as I said, I followed the man," she began as she slid to the floor and sat with her knees gathered into her chest. "For a while I considered the wisdom of intercepting him, but decided against it. He stayed on very public streets. If I had approached him, I would have caused a scene. Not to mention I would have had to kill him afterwards."

"I'm aware of procedure, Rosa," Ezio said, sounding bored. "Please get to the point." Rosa stuck her tongue out at him as she adjusted her position on the floor. She was going to make him wait as long as possible. As though bored, Ambra flopped down onto her pillow, red hair spilling over the edge of the bed and nearly touching the floor as she did so. Momentarily, Rosa was distracted by all of the colors that formed the striking hue that was Ambra's trademark. It was so luxurious compared to Rosa's chopped black hair.

Ezio followed Rosa's gaze and sighed. He, too, was quite fascinated by her hair, but that was because just seconds before his hands had been tangled within it. He could still feel it sliding around his fingers

"Speak, Rosa," Ezio ordered. Snapping back to attention, she shook herself from her reverie and continued with her narrative.

"Anyway," she went on, "I followed the man to a _palazzo_ near the docks. Ezio perked to attention at this. These docks were continuing to become of more and more interest to him. "Perhaps a ten minute walk from the warehouse that _Signor _De Luca rented."

"There seems to be a lot more activity at the docks of _Venezia_ than everyone knows about," Ezio murmured. "Go on."

"I couldn't find an open way in quick enough to watch the messenger hand over the letter or to give any kind of oral message to whoever lives there, but I _did_ manage to get in and hear him talking to someone after the messenger left." Rosa nonchalantly inspected her fingernails as she paused for effect. Ezio sighed.

"Well?"

"I couldn't really gather the particulars," she drawled, "I was far away and focused on not being caught. But I _did_ hear him say something about how it is too soon. Someone of importance is going to be arriving in _Venezia_ within the next month or so, and the Templars here are not ready to receive him. Not all parts of whatever they're planning have fallen into place."

Both Ezio and Rosa looked at Ambra expectantly. She had been staring at the ceiling, so at first she didn't realize this, but the pause in conversation caused her to look up and see that they were waiting for something from her.

"What?" she asked.

"Do you know what she's talking about?" Ezio asked.

"If I did, don't you think I would have said something by now?" Ambra inquired.

"She _really_ is entirely useless isn't she?" Rosa inquired. Ezio shot daggers at her with his eyes, but Ambra didn't seem very upset about it.

"I'm sure that I could easily find out, though," Ambra added. "I mean, if _I_ had been in the house, I wouldn't have left without a name, but that is because I wouldn't have had to sneak around. All I would really have to do is ask Francesco who lives there."

"Without arousing suspicion?" Ezio inquired.

"I'm a very talented story-teller," Ambra assured Ezio. "I could come up with something, especially today. God only knows where I have been, as far as he is concerned."

"But that's an easily checkable fact," Rosa reminded her. "You need to be more subtle, if that is at all possible." Ambra narrowed her eyes at Rosa. Obviously this woman did not like her. The only reason Ambra could think of for her to be so openly disdainful was Ezio.

He was obviously a good reason, after all. As Ambra looked at the plain woman, dressed as a man, she concluded that there was no competition. If Rosa hadn't managed to snag Ezio after all of these years, she definitely wasn't going to accomplish it now with Ambra around, and she would make sure of that.

"I'll figure something out," Ambra assured her as she brought a slender foot out from beneath the bedclothes and ran it up Ezio's thigh. "Was that all, Rosa?" Ambra tilted her head and fixed a meaningful green gaze on the intruder. However, Rosa made no move to get up or even change positions.

"No, actually, it wasn't," she responded. "Once our mystery man left his office, I attempted to get in to see what I could dig up. The lock was easy to pick, but once I got inside, there was nothing I could find. The desk was strange. It had no drawers, and there was nothing in the room that I could see that could possibly hold _anything_. There must have been a hidden safe or vault somewhere, but I didn't want to risk the time looking for it."

"_Il punto, _Rosa," Ezio urged as he looked at Ambra's bare ankle. He knew that soon he was going to have to return her to her husband, and he wanted to make the most of the time he had left. Of course he was interested in whatever Rosa would have to tell him, but he knew that she was dragging it out on purpose.

"Anyway," Rosa continued. "There were no drawers to open, nowhere to search, but _this_ was right on top of his desk in the middle." At this, she pulled a folded envelope out of one of her pockets and showed the back of it to Ezio. Even from his spot across the room, he could see what she was trying to show her. He practically jumped from the bed, crossing the room in two long strides and ripping the envelope from her hand.

The envelope itself was empty, but that didn't matter. Doubtless the contents had already been read and destroyed, but the seal of Rodrigo Borgia still clung to the back of the envelope.

"_Lo spagnolo …"_ he whispered as he stared at the seal. "Do you think…?"

"That he is the one that they're expecting?" Rosa finished the question for him. "Yes, I do." Ezio turned to Ambra, who was now sitting up straight in the bed. He was going to have to use her, now. He needed to know _everything_. And he needed to know it fast.

Ambra immediately recognized that look of desperation in Ezio's eyes and she rose from the bed despite the fact that she wasn't wearing anything beneath his shirt. "What can I do?" she asked him. At this point, Ezio wasn't even sure about _exactly_ what she could do for him; he just knew that Ambra could be his most valuable asset in this fight against the Templars. It frustrated him that he didn't know _exactly _what to do with her. But one thing was for sure; she was the queen on his chessboard. She could move freely wherever she liked, it was just up to him to move her correctly. He couldn't be too rash, but he couldn't be conservative, either.

He put his hand beneath her chin and lifted her face up towards him. The bruise standing out against her smooth skin was enough to make his skin crawl, and he knew that if she helped him, the violence would most likely get much worse. Could he really put her at risk?

He didn't have to think about this for too long. Borgia's envelope was practically burning the skin on his hand. Once more, he would have a chance at the man who was ultimately responsible for everything bad that had happened to him. There was a niggling voice in the back of his head that told him to let it go, that this pursuit would lead him down a road that he did not want to follow. Finally he had found someone who could be important to him, and he was going to put her right into harm's way.

But he couldn't help it.


	22. Pensieri Secondi

Angst angst angst. This is what happens to me when I write late at night. I promise you guys that the plot is coming back soon! I just wanna make sure I have it all in order before I actually start writing it down!

)0()0()0()0()0(

Elettra Grimaldi was starting to become impatient. Her husband had been upstairs with that little redheaded demon for _hours_, now. She knew that the violence could get somewhat … obscene, but this was starting to become ridiculous.

Rather than sending a servant up to see what was going on, she decided that she would go upstairs and have a look herself. She knew that she might not like what she saw, but then again, there was also the chance that she _would_ like it. Elettra had formed almost an immediate disliking of Ambra, and all of these possibilities of betraying the cause of the Templars was only further excuse to not like her.

As she ascended the stairs, Elettra wondered what she would do if she opened the door and it turned out that her husband _was_, in fact, raping the girl. He had told her that it probably wouldn't come to that, but Adamo was not exactly known for staying true to his word.

When she reached the third floor landing, she saw that the door was closed. There was no longer any pounding coming from the inside as there had been earlier. Obviously the captive had given up on trying to escape.

Pressing her ear against the door, Elettra listened for sounds on the other side of it. The only thing she could hear was breathing. She didn't bother knocking; she took out her own key, shoved it into the lock, and opened the door herself. However, what she saw on the other side was _far_ from what she expected. Her husband was alone in the middle of the bed, sleeping, and Ambra De Luca was nowhere to be seen.

"_Idiota!"_ Elettra exclaimed as she advanced on the bed and smacked her husband awake. Adamo jumped at the surprised and quickly got out of bed, grabbing his wife by the wrist.

"Excuse me?" he demanded.

"Where the hell is she?" Elettra continued, momentarily forgetting her place. "How could you let her escape? _Sei proprio scemo."_ This earned her a slap across the face.

"I will overlook your behavior right now because you are surprised," he said calmly as Elettra backed away from him with her hand on her cheek. "You know better than to speak to me in that manner." He waited for a response, but, fortunately for Elettra, there wasn't one. "Now, I know that you are upset. I am not too pleased about this either. However, screaming like an idiot is not going to solve anything."

Adamo started pacing the room. This made things complicated. Ambra had been hard enough to catch when she didn't know that he and her husband were onto her. Now that she knew that they were suspicious, it would be nigh impossible to get what he wanted out of her.

"We need to call on the De Lucas," he stated. "There's no point in beating around the bush anymore. We will go there and talk like the civilized people that we are."

"Fine," Elettra responded. "How did she get out?"

"She … caught me by surprise," Adamo responded, "and I had left the door open with the key in the lock. Clearly I underestimated her. _That_ will not happen again."

"How do you think Francesco De Luca reacted when he saw her?" Elettra required.

"I don't know?" Adamo responded, "but we're not going to take very long to find out. We're leaving as soon as I change. I can't leave something like this hanging in the air."

)0()0()0()0(

"All right, Ambra, you have one task," Ezio reminded her as the two of them walked through the streets of Venice. Soon, Ezio was going to have to drop back and follow her from a distance until she got back to her house, but for now he judged that it was safe to walk next to her. "You just need to find out who owns the _palazzo_ near the docks."

"_Sì Ezio. Io so,"_ Ambra sighed, frustrated. She was pretty sure that he thought she was completely incompetent. However, now was her chance to prove exactly the opposite. She wasn't sure why she felt like she had something to prove, but she couldn't shake the feeling. She wanted to seem useful in Ezio's eyes. She wanted him to think that there was a reason for him to keep her around, that he didn't _need_ some capable, strong, independent woman who dressed like a man.

Ah, so there it was. Perhaps she was jealous of Rosa's relationship with Ezio. He could rely on her and he knew that. Whereas when he looked at Ambra, he was willing to trust her, but didn't quite believe that she could deliver what he needed. Ambra sighed and waved away the feeling of inadequacy.

"All right, _cara_, I am going to fall back so that people don't see me with you," he told her. "Don't worry, though, I'll be watching you the entire time." He paused to kiss her lightly, and then he disappeared into the crowd. Ambra marveled at how well he could hide. She knew that he was there; he wouldn't leave her if he said that he was going to follow her. Ambra made a little game of trying to spot him and couldn't.

When she started getting close to her house, Ambra removed the shoes that Teodora had allowed her to bother. She had gotten back to the clothes in which she had arrived at the brothel. She wasn't sure what Francesco had already heard or if Adamo had already gotten to him, so she had to arrive looking pathetic. She discarded the shoes.

Finally, her _palazzo_ came into view and despite herself, she was happy to see it. This place had become her home. She was the lady of a fine house, and that was actually the source of some pride for her. Of course, she wasn't exactly returning like she was the lady of a fine house, but no one was perfect.

When she got to the door, she took a deep breath, braced herself, and then threw her body against it. She started pounding frantically on the solid wood. She could feel her hands starting to bleed as she did so, which was probably a good thing. After all, she had bathed at the brothel, and though she tried to muss herself up, she might have still looked too clean for the story she was about to give.

"_Aiuta me!"_ she cried, making her voice sound raspy and course. _"Per favore! Apri la porta!"_ She was already starting to bring attention to herself from the passers by, which was good. Ezio watched in satisfaction from a safe distance on a rooftop. She really was a phenomenal actress. It was actually quite disconcerting. He knew where she had been all afternoon and the performance still tugged at his heart a bit. If she had ever come to him like that … well, someone would be dead almost instantly.

One of the servants opened the door and she fell forward, landing on her hands on knees. Immediately, she was brought inside and Ezio could no longer see her. She was on her own for the time being. He had his own tasks to perform, anyway.

)0()0()0()0(

Once inside, the butler who had let her into the house tried to get her up the stairs and to her own private rooms, but Ambra made herself as heavy as possible. She wanted for Francesco to see her _now_, before she got cleaned up. Her story would be much more believable if he saw her in this state.

"_Dov'è Francesco?_" she demanded. "Where is my husband?"

"We will bring him to you, _Signora_," the butler promised. "Just let us get you to your bed. We will bring him to you. Come now, let's go upstairs-"

"What is this racket about?" came a masculine voice from the top of the stairs. Both Ambra and the butler raised their eyes to see Francesco standing there. "Ambra! What happened to you?" He descended the entire staircase in about three seconds, gathering his wife into his arms when he reached her. Based on her feelings towards him the last time they saw each other, Francesco was not expecting her to accept his comfort, but she clung to the front of his shirt as he engulfed her. As he sat on the stairs with her, rocking her back and forth as she sobbed into his shirt, he looked up at his servant.

"Marco, prepare a bath," Ambra listened the quick footsteps of the butler as he went to inform the rest of the house that the mistress was in need.

"Ambra," Francesco purred as he smoothed her hair back. "Tell me what happened."

"He hit me," Ambra croaked dramatically. "He tried to rape me, he … he …"

"Sssh," Francesco hushed her as he picked her up and started carrying her up the stairs. "Quiet, _cara_, you do not have to tell me about it." He did his best to keep his voice even and calm in order to soothe her, but his anger was bubbling beneath the surface. He _knew_ that he shouldn't have left her with Adamo. He _knew_ that he would feel like he should have free range over her body, that he could do anything he wanted to her to make her talk.

The only thing that gave him comfort was that Ambra said he had _tried_ to rape her. He hadn't succeeded. Vaguely, he wondered what had stopped him, but at the moment he didn't have much time for stray thoughts. His wife was cradled in his arms, sobbing against his shirt. She was filthy and barefoot. Only God knew where she had been since leaving the Grimaldi household, who had gotten to her since then … he didn't want to think about that either, though.

When he reached Ambra's private quarters, he put Ambra down on one of the couches and smoothed her hair back from her face. The bruise forming on her cheek glared at him, causing his rage to double at least.

"_Bastardo,"_ he muttered, _"lo ucciderò."_ Ambra fought to keep herself from smiling. So far she was doing great. Ezio wanted her to place a wedge between Francesco and Adamo. It would change anything really. Adamo had more resources than anyone knew, but it would make Francesco a little less trusting of the man, which could possibly make things a little safer for Ambra, as Francesco would be less inclined to leave his wife at the mercy of the man once more.

Francesco continued his inspection of his wife as he stripped her clothes in preparation for her bath. There were no other marks on your body besides those of filth and grime. However, on her neck was a set a hand-shaped bruises. So he had tried to choke her, as well.

Physical harm had not been part of the deal.

"I think that physically you are going to be all right," he said to her as he gathered her in once more. The servants had finally entered her chambers with the tub. Under normal circumstances he would have scolded them for being so slow, but he didn't want to further upset his wife. Besides, he felt a little better when he was holding onto her.

He sat there with her in silence until her bath was ready, and then poured her into it, watching her relax as her body was immersed in the hot water. Immediately he could see the dirt and grime lifting from her skin, leaving it as smooth and perfect as usual.

As Francesco was getting ready to help her clean herself, he was distracted by a cough from the doorway. He turned to see Marco standing there awkwardly.

"Well?" he barked, not having the patience to deal with him delicately.

"_Signore_," he began, "Adamo Grimaldi is at the door." Francesco's face immediately changed as he stood up. It didn't even occur to him that he shouldn't leave his wife at this time. The thought that he should tell the man to come back later never even crossed his mind.

Ambra, however, went into panic mode. Luckily, that was a useful emotion.

"Francesco stay here!" she pleased as she reached up and grabbed his hand, sloshing water across the wood floor as she did so. _"Per favore! Non partirmi!"_

"I will be right downstairs, _amore_," he promised her as he bent over to kiss her on her wet forehead. He turned around to leave the room, ignoring his wife's protests. Ambra, unsure of what to do, sunk lower into the tub, letting the water run over her head. This was not part of the plan. However, there was nothing she could do about this. She had to play her part, which meant that she would have to stay in the tub.

)0()0()0()0(

"I take it that Ambra has returned," Adamo greeted as he watched Francesco descend the stairs. The look on his face was positively murderous. No, the man was not happy, but Adamo wasn't worried about it. He was Adamo Grimaldi.

"Oh yes," Francesco answered as he finished his descent and approached Grimaldi. He stopped directly in front of him so that the two were standing toe to toe.

"You seem angry," Adamo remarked.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here," Francesco suggested.

"Spare me the dramatics, De Luca," Adamo sighed as he rolled his eyes and turned his back on his angry host. "I didn't do anything to her."

"Then the bruise on her face? She got that from somewhere else?"

"I can assure you she was completely unharmed when she left my house," Adamo responded. "I wish that the same could be said for me." His hand went protectively to his crotch. "She did a bit of a number. No, if she got a bruise, she acquired that after she left my care. God only knows what she might have gotten into since then. When did she arrive?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Franesco answered carefully.

"Peculiar," Francesco murmured. "She escaped at least … five hours ago, give or take." Francesco narrowed his eyes and scrunched his nose at this new information. "She didn't tell you that? She has been wandering the streets for the greater part of the day. I feel like that is information she should have shared. What _did_ she tell you?"

"That you attempted to rape her," Francesco spat, remembering just how angry he had been. He had to remind himself that Adamo was far from trustworthy. Anything that came from this man's mouth had to be taken with a grain of salt.

"A likely story …" Adamo trailed off as he looked around. "Do you mind if we continue this conversation in your study? This seems a rather delicate subject to discuss in front of the help." Francesco's head swiveled and he realized that they were drawing a crowd.

"Fine," Francesco spat as he turned on his heel and stormed towards his office. Adamo smirked and followed. The footsteps of the two men on the marble floors were in great contrast. Francesco's were hurried, an intimidating staccato. Adamo was taking a much more leisurely stroll. He was not upset in the least. Not outwardly, anyway. There was a _bit_ of turmoil within him, but only because this was such a troublesome and boring situation. He hated having to do damage control.

Once both men were inside the office, Francesco slammed the door and didn't even bother to go and sit at his desk.

"Explain yourself," he demanded.

"Calm yourself," Grimaldi responded. "I don't care how angry you are, you will remember who you are talking to."

"You are in _my_ house," Francesco reminded Grimaldi. "In my study. As such, I could kill you right now and dispose of the body. No one would know that it was me."

"You couldn't kill _me_," Adamo assured him. "Poison does not in hand to hand conflict, and I know that is the only method by which you have ever killed anybody." Adamo calmly strolled over to one of the chairs in the room and sat down. "I, however, have washed blood from my hands more times than I can count. So, you might want to be more careful in choosing your threats."

Francesco continued to seethe. He despised Grimaldi's arrogance. Even the small act of taking a seat showed that he did not fear Francesco at all.

"Now, I see that you are upset," Adamo continued, "and who wouldn't be? Your wife returned, I assume in some sort of frenzy, damaged. However, I promise you that whatever she had told you has been a lie."

"What reason would she have to lie?" Francesco demanded.

"Don't you think that it is a little odd that it took her nearly five hours to return to you after she escaped my house?" Adamo inquired. "What do you think she was doing in that time?"

"We hadn't gotten to that point, yet," Francesco answered, "I was still reeling from the part where you tried to _rape_ my wife."

"Nonsense, I never touched her," Adamo said dismissively, "at least not in that way. All that red hair? And those freckles? Why on earth would I do such a thing? If there is a bruise on her neck, I might take responsibility for that. She got a little feisty and I needed to control her, but besides that I did not touch her at all." Francesco did not want to believe this story, but Adamo relayed it with such a nonchalance that it made it so easy to believe. "Now, if you are ready to listen like a reasonable man, I will speak to you."

"By all means," Francesco said testily. Adamo gave him a look, but went on anyway.

"During my … interrogation of your wife," Adamo began, "she was able to take me by surprise and leave the room in which I was keeping her. As she left, she closed the door and locked me in. Being that the room is on the third floor of my house, it was quite some time before someone finally realized that I had been up there for a little too long and came to look for me, otherwise I would have come to you sooner. However, I cannot account for your wife's whereabouts in this time span."

"She doesn't know the city very well," Francesco explained. "It is entirely plausible that she was lost. Or that she was detained by-"

"A certain assassin?" Adamo finished for Francesco, which immediately changed the man's demeanor. He had not thought of that. "Oh, it honestly hadn't occurred to you that she might run to Auditore for help?"

"She … she barely knows how to get from your house to mine," Francesco explained. "How would she be able to find Auditore?"

"How should I know?" Adamo asked with a shrug. "Maybe she is playing you for a fool and she knows more than you think. You cannot trust that woman, Francesco."

"What did she say to you when you questioned her?" Francesco inquired.

Shrugging, Adamo answered, "Nothing incriminating, but I didn't have enough time with her." Now Adamo stood back up. "Let me have a few more minutes with her."

"No, absolutely out of the question," Francesco put his foot down, realizing what Grimaldi was trying to do. "Even if you did nothing to her, she has still been though _something_. She has a bruise on her face and God knows what else has happened to her." Adamo wished that he hadn't left out striking Ambra in the face. In hindsight, he realized that would only lend credence to any story she told him about where she was in the interim.

"_Insisto."_

"I don't care," Francesco responded. "Do what you want to me, you're not going near her right now."

"This is unwise, Francesco," Adamo warned.

"I will not have you telling me what I can and cannot do with my wife," Francesco responded. "Now, you will kindly see yourself from my house. There are pressing matters that require my attention." Adamo narrowed his eyes as he moved towards the door.

"You are making a mistake," he informed Francesco. "She is making a fool out of you, and you are letting her do it."

"I believe that I know my wife better than you do," Francesco told Adamo. "And I saw her when she returned to this house. If you did nothing to her, I am positive that someone else put a hand on her."

"And you're telling me now that you actually care for her well being?" Adamo inquired. "Bull shit. Just yesterday you left her at my mercy. I'm not sure where this … husbandly concern is from, but I doubt that it is genuine." He placed his hand on the doorknob. "If this is you trying to show me that I cannot control you, let me assure you that you are most mistaken. I of course will be back, or I will summon you _and_ your wife. It would be wise to comply with my wishes. I will see myself out."

)0()0()0()0(

Francesco stood in the middle of his study, breathing hard, his hands balled into fists at his sides. It had been extremely difficult to keep his calm façade, and now that there was no one for whom he needed to put on a show, he stopped trying.

He wanted very badly to disregard everything that the man had said, to completely ignore all of it, but that was impossible, now. Adamo had already planted the seed of doubt, and now Francesco would not be able to rest until he had spoken to Ambra. Most of the concern for her that he had felt before was gone. Now there was only the desire for information. Now there was only the need to know that Grimaldi was wrong, that Ambra was just as faithful to him now as she had ever been.

He left his study and purposefully strode towards the stairs. He would get to the bottom of this now.

)0()0()0()0(

When she heard the door open, Ambra's head snapped in its direction. Though she was relieved to see that it was Francesco at the door and not Adamo Grimaldi, she knew that it would be unwise to get ahead of herself. Just because Adamo wasn't there in person did not mean he wasn't there in spirit, pulling the strings that he had so expertly attached to Francesco's limbs.

"What did that monster have to say?" Ambra inquired. "We have very different stories, no doubt."

"Oh, quite different," Francesco agreed nodding as he sat down on the chaise on which Ambra and Ezio so frequently had their encounters. "Where have you been for the last few hours, Ambra?"

Ambra's knees stood out of the water like two lonely islands, and she rested her chin on top of them.

"Honestly, Francesco, I could not tell you," she answered. "I had no idea where I was going when I left _il palazzo di Gramaldi._ I was just running as far as I could. I drew attention because I was barefoot and wearing his wife's underwear." Adamo raised an eyebrow. "I had been sick all over my own clothes. Before I knew it I was in a rather … unsavory part of town. A man grabbed me, asked me what I was doing wandering around like that. He said that I was asking for trouble."

Now here was the part of the story that Ambra did not want to tell. She and Ezio had rehearsed it on their walk over, and Ezio insisted that it was the best way to go about this, but Ambra had her doubts. She knew that Francesco was somewhat unpredictable; his tempers could flare from nowhere. But she had promised Ezio that she would do whatever he needed her to do, and he said that this was what he needed.

"Ezio Auditore saved me from being raped by him."

As she suspected, Francesco went rigid. His face went blank, but he still managed to speak the words, "Ezio Auditore?"

"_Sì. _Ezio," Ambra confirmed. "I mean, he did not get to me immediately. The man took me into pub after pub and tried to procure a room where he could do the deed in private. I suppose that he didn't want to rape me if there was a chance of someone seeing it, but he didn't have enough money for a room anywhere. He tried to bargain with innkeepers. I was making a fuss, but no one seemed to care until Ezio walked in to one of them and recognized me. I … I don't even want to think about what might have happened if he hadn't come."

"And he brought you back here?" Francesco demanded. Ambra nodded.

"He refused to actually bring me to the house, but he dropped me not too far away without a word. I didn't even get a real chance to thank him, he left so quickly." But the words weren't even registering in Francesco's head. His head filled with the sound of wind rushing past his ears. To him, it didn't matter that Ezio had saved her from rape.

Francesco would rather that she had died than be saved by _him_. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that it was no accident that he had been able to save Ambra just in the nick of time. He knew that she was in the city, he must have been watching her … following her. Waiting.

Ambra was starting to become apprehensive. She knew that she shouldn't have followed this directive.

"Francesco, I don't know what you're thinking but-"

"Silence, whore," he barked. Ambra flinched as Francesco stood and advanced upon the tub. "Do you think that I am some sort of idiot? Do you think that Ezio Auditore just _happened_ be in the same place you were at the _perfect_ time?"

"Well I'm not sure if it was chance," Ambra responded, "but I'm sure glad that he was there. Francesco he _saved_ me from being raped a _second_ time. I thought that you might have been grateful."

"Oh yes, I'm extremely grateful that he saved you from rape only to enjoy the spoils himself," Francesco spat. Ambra narrowed her eyes. This was not the reaction that she or Ezio had expected, but she knew that she couldn't give up on it, now.

"You must think I am some sort of idiot," Ambra began, "if you think that I would let Ezio Auditore have his way with me and then _tell_ you that I had seen him."

"Oh, I don't think that you are an idiot," Francesco responded. "I think that you are a traitorous whore, just like Adamo suggested. You must think that _I_ am an idiot if you believe that this story is going to have any sort of effect on me. I'm sure he saved you all right, and how did you show your gratitude, hm? Did you open your legs and –"

"_Me?"_ Ambra interrupted. "A traitorous whore? _You're_ the one who left me at the hands of that monster. _You're _the one who cares nothing for your wife and unborn child! It would serve you right if I _did_ offer Ezio physical payment for what he did for me." Ambra hadn't wanted to use this ammunition so soon, but it seemed like it might be the only way that she was going to salvage her situation.

"Did … did you say …"

"Yes, Francesco, I'm pregnant," she informed him.

"How … when … why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was afraid to tell you because I didn't want to hurt you," she answered. "I remembered how crushed you were when my other pregnancy ended in miscarriage. I wanted to save you from that pain. Of course Adamo's abuse has probably put the child at some risk, but you don't care about that, do you? You care nothing for me. You only care about doing exactly what he wants and gaining his favor. Poor excuse for a man. I rue the day I married you. And to think that my father died so that you could treat me thus."

"I already told you that I didn't kill your father, Ambra," Francesco reminded her.

"How do I know I can even trust you at this point?" Amba demanded. "I have done nothing but be a faithful and loving wife to you, and all you have done is put me in considerable danger and subjected me to humiliation." She was really laying it on thick, now. "Then, after facing the threat of rape _once more_, I find my way back to you and you call me a whore?" She needed to play on his guilt; she needed to dredge up what humanity was left in him. Ambra shed some tears that honestly hadn't been that hard to force. When she thought about the situation she was in, what Francesco had done to her, it was easy to cry. "Leave me."

"Ambra …"

"I said _leave!"_ she exclaimed. _"Non posso ti guardo."_

)0()0()0()0(

Ezio returned to _La Rosa Della Virtù _simply because he really wasn't sure where else he should go. He had tried going to the docks and scoping out the houses nearby, but without any kind of information or Rosa there to point out the house, it was impossible for him to know which one he was supposed to be watching. He wanted very badly to be a fly on the wall in Ambra's room, to know that Adamo's Grimaldi's little stunt had not compromised Francesco's trust in his wife, but he would have to wait for that information, and he hated to wait.

"You seem upset, Ezio," Teodora observed as she approached Ezio, who was standing on the second floor balcony looking over the scene below.

"I feel very helpless, Teodora," he answered, "and it's not a feeling to which I am accustomed."

"I know, Ezio," Teodora assured him, "this is rather complicated, isn't it?" Ezio nodded. "It would be so much easier if you didn't actually love her, wouldn't it?"

"You have no idea how much I wish it was one of your girls in her place," Ezio replied with a shrug. "How much I wish that I could put someone dispensable to me in her shoes. This could end very badly for her, Teodora. I would not put it past her husband to kill her if he found out what she was doing. And I don't trust _her_ to take care of herself the way that she needs to."

"I don't think that you should worry so much about her," Teodora told him. "If she dies … well, she knew what she was getting into, and she died serving a greater purpose than herself." Ezio shook his head. "What, you don't believe that?"

"I've already lost enough people that I love to the Templars," Ezio thought out loud. "If they take her from me, as well, they will have essentially killed all of what I care about." He turned to his friend. "This quest will turn me cold, Teodora. By the end of it, I will be no better than any of them. And I will have nothing to live for because I will have thrown it all away trying to stop them."

"You will _always_ be better than them, Ezio," Teodora insisted as she put her hands on his face and forced him to look at her. "Don't you _dare _think otherwise. And there will _always_ be something for you to live for." Ezio wanted to say _not if she is gone_, but he knew that Teodora would just dismiss it as him being overly sentimental. She would accuse him of taking the eye off the prize, and maybe he had, but no one could deny that the distraction was worthy. Was his thirst for revenge really worth the life of his child? Could he lose _more_ of his family to the Templars and still be able to face himself knowing that _this_ time he _could_ have prevented it?

Disgusted with himself, Ezio turned away from Teodora. This was precisely what he hadn't wanted. Love was vulnerability. Love was weakness. His former resolve was all but gone, replaced by doubt and fear. He _knew_ about the fragility of life, and yet he went right ahead and attached his own happiness to Ambra's survival.

"Well, Ezio, whatever it is you that you are feeling," Teodora spoke to his back, "it's far too late to take it back, now. You've gotten her into this, now the only options left for you are to flee, or see her safely out of it. And I know that it is not in you to run, Ezio."

She was right, and Ezio knew it. He loved Ambra. God he loved her, but he couldn't run from this. He had started it and he had to finish it, but he wished that she wasn't so intricately involved. He knew that for his sake, he would not run, but for her sake … well, Ezio did not even know what he was capable of doing for her sake.

)0()0()0()0(

lo ucciderò: I will kill him

Insisto: I insist

Non posso ti guardo: I can't look at you


	23. Concludiamo un Accordo

Thank you everyone for the reviews! I've gotten myself reoriented! And now we are getting back in the meat of things. Enoy!

)o()o()o()o(

Ambra awoke the next morning feeling well rested, but also restless. She was eager to get started, but had no idea where to begin. There was a need for subtlety and cleverness. To Ambra, subtlety had always been something of a waste of time, but she liked to think that she was rather clever.

She rang the bell near her bed, hoping that Valentina would be the one to answer it. She was.

"_Buon giorno, Signora_," she greeted as she went about drawing the curtains open as well as the windows. It was a beautiful morning in Venice. There was a slight breeze, on which the scent of salt water floated, reminding Ambra of the house near the docks. "Can I get you anything?"

"_Voglio parlare a Francesco,"_ Ambra replied. Valentina seemed rather surprised, but obviously she was not going to say no. She knew that Francesco would want to speak to _her_ as well, so retrieving him wouldn't really be that much of a chore.

"I'll have him come, then," Valentina responded as she bowed out of the room, leaving Ambra by herself once more. She got out of the bed to close the window. After all, that was always her signal to Ezio to come in. She had to be extra careful now that Francesco knew that the two of them had come in contact with each other, even if he didn't know the extent of their encounters. It was enough to put him on edge.

Ambra arranged the pillows so that she could sit up straight when Francesco entered the room. He waited until she was completely ready before he sat down near her feet.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

"Well enough," Ambra responded. It wouldn't do well to lie. She felt rested and she knew that she must look like she had slept well. "I had a long day yesterday. It was easy to fall asleep once I had calmed down." This was true. Once Francesco had left her and she finally had some time her herself, she felt drained.

"Good," Francesco cooed as he leaned forward and tucked some of Ambra's stray hair behind her ear. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for upsetting you last night, _cara_."

"Of course you're sorry …" Ambra trailed off with an eye roll.

"For _everything_," he added. "For leaving you with Adamo, for accusing you of having an affair with Auditore … for all of it. You've never given me a reason to not trust you."

"And I have_ so_ many not to trust you," Ambra reminded him. "Unfortunately I have nowhere else to go. I'm stuck here with you." Francesco took a deep breath in order to keep himself calm. He had resolved that he would not raise her voice at her, or accuse her of anything else, or even scold her for her impudence the night before. However, it was obvious that she had no intent towards civility.

"That's true, _dolcezza_," Francesco purred, "and being that you are stuck here, I should think that you might want to make your stay a little more pleasant. Now, you called me in here. I imagine that you want to speak to me, and not just to tell me how much you hate me."

"I just wanted to know wha you would be doing today," Ambra answered. "I do not want to stay in the house by myself. I was hoping that you could … take me along with you." Francesco tilted his head in confusion.

"After last night I thought …"

"Last night I was distraught," Ambra cut him off. "I'll not say that I didn't mean the things that I said, but … well, regardless of whether or not I actually _like_ you, Francesco, you're my husband and most likely the only one that I'll ever have. It doesn't matter what you've done, as I can't do a damn thing to change it, and killing you certainly would just make life that much harder for me-"

"_Killing_ me?" Francesco inquired. "You thought about killing me?"

"Of course I've thought about killing you," Ambra answered frankly with a shrug. "It would serve you right, you murderous pig. However-"

"I didn't kill your father, Ambra."

"_However_," Ambra continued. "Killing you would just leave me husbandless in a city that I don't know, a house all to myself, and a child to raise on my own." Francesco couldn't help it; at the mention of the child within his wife's belly, a huge grin split his face. Ambra couldn't help but feel a small thrill, either. Now that she was sure, and it was something she could talk about freely, it was only getting more and more exciting. Already she was having daydreams about the clothes that her child would wear, how lavishly she would decorate his room – she prayed that it was a boy – and how handsome he would be. How utterly perfect he would be.

"I'm glad that you have so many uses for me," Francesco murmured. "Anyway, if you'd really like to accompany me today, I have to make a trip to the bank. From there I must look at a few storage spaces."

"What for?" Ambra asked.

"It doesn't matter," Francesco answered slowly as he regarded his wife carefully. Ambra decided not to press for more information, as he already looked quite suspicious. "It will all be very boring. Are you sure that you'd like to come? I'm sure that I could send for someone to come here and visit you. Giada Rialto-"

"Urgh, please don't put me in that woman's company," Ambra interrupted. "She's positively vile. I cannot stand her."

"I thought that the two of you were friends?" Francesco asked. "You always seem to get along well."

"I play nice at your parties so that you don't throw a tantrum when we get home," Ambra assured him. "I can promise you that _none_ of the company I find with your friends is agreeable to me."

"Well, I'm sorry that it's such a chore for you …" Francesco trailed off. "I thought that you liked it."

"I like the dresses," Ambra assured him. "And now I'll be needing new ones to accommodate my changing figure." Ambra looked down at her belly, which was still completely flat, but it wouldn't be for long. Francesco just rolled his eyes as he stood up.

"Well, if you'd like to accompany me on my business, I will be leaving in about a half hour. Can you be ready?"

"It will be tough," Ambra told him as she got out of bed, "but I'm sure that I can manage it."

)o()o()o()o()o(

Knowing that Ambra would be hard at work, Ezio decided that it would only be fair if he did something productive as well. Lately he spent so much time thinking about her and following her around and visiting her that he seldom had time for anything else. However, he knew that if he was going to keep her safe, he was going to have to do some of the lifting as well. After all, the more he knew, the less he would need to ask from her.

"Do you plan on going to that house I told you about by the docks?" Rosa asked Ezio as the two of them strolled through the thieves' district.

"No," Ezio answered. "It's too risky over there. Not enough cover and too many people looking out for me. Best to let Ambra handle that one. No. I will have to start with the Templars that I _already_ know. It's always easy enough to find them doing something treacherous."

"Mmhmm," Rosa murmured. "You just want to keep yourself busy. You know that you can't follow your precious little redhead around all day, so you want to keep occupied."

"Is that such a crime?" Ezio inquired.

"Not necessarily," Rosa responded, "but I would never have pegged for one to get so … besotted. You should _want_ to do what you've dedicated your life to, Ezio. You shouldn't just hunt down the scum of the earth because you need a distraction from the woman whose life you have so carelessly put in danger."

"Something tells me that you are not happy with me, _cara mia,"_ Ezio told her.

"I think that you're being ridiculous," Rosa reminded him, "but I literally _just_ told you that." In stride, she picked up an apple off a passing cart and took a bite without paying for it. The movement was so smooth that even Ezio had barely seen it. She _was_ very good at what she did. He knew that he would never really have to worry about Rosa. "But enough of this. I'd rather not beat this dead horse any further."

"Thank you," Ezio murmured. "Now … what do you make of that seal we saw yesterday?" Ezio asked.

"Obviously Borgia is still conducting business in _Venezia_ from wherever he is, now," Rosa offered. "There's something here that is still of interest to him, but because of your presence he cannot move freely in the city."

"Do you think this something is a _something_?" Ezio inquired. "Or do you think it is more … abstract?"

"Who is to say?" Rosa asked. "But it's enough to bring him here when he knows that you will be on high alert for him. It must be important." Ezio nodded solemnly as he stared straight ahead. "But all of this talk of empty warehouses and decoy boxes lead me to think that it might be something material. He's hiding something and he wants to throw you off of its trail."

"Do you think it might have something to do with the Piece of Eden?" Ezio inquired. The last time Borgia had been in Venice, he fled without it. Doubtless he wanted it back. Naturally, he wasn't going to get it. The apple was safe, and the assassins would die protecting it if necessary.

"I don't know what else he would want," Rosa stated. "And if he really _is_ coming to _Venezia_, I feel like that is the _only_ thing that would prompt him to do so. It is far too risky for him to step foot in this city. He knows that there would be assassins on him immediately." Ezio nodded solemnly. "But what if it's not Borgia who is coming? After all we only have the envelope with the seal. God only knows what the letter inside said."

Ezio hadn't wanted to consider this alternative. If the Templars were preparing for the arrival of some _other_ important master, or grand master, it was someone that Ezio did not know about, and that was a frightening thought. These people seemed to multiply and crawl out of the cracks like insects. It would be impossible to know how big of a problem he was facing until he knocked out the wall.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of walls, and they weren't coming down easily.

)o()o()o()o()o(

"_Andiamo, Ambra!"_ Francesco barked up the stairs as he stood at the bottom, adjusting his jacket.

"I'm coming," Ambra answered as she appeared at the top of the staircase and slowly descended. Unable to dress demurely, Ambra wore a gold dress with blue lace hanging from her half sleeves. She carried a blue fan to match, and wore her hair pulled into a simple chignon at the back of her head. The heat of the day would be too much to let her red river flow as she would have liked.

"Always looking for attention …" Francesco trailed off. "It's not a wonder that you always manage to find yourself in trouble."

"Would you have me looking any other way, Francesco?" Ambra inquired as she brushed past her husband and made her way to the front door, where the butler was waiting, holding it open for her. Francesco rolled his eyes and followed after her. By the time he got outside, she was already being helped into the carriage. He got in after her and the door closed behind him.

Once he was sitting across from her, he couldn't help but look. She was even prettier when she was angry with him, which was troublesome.

"Ambra," he began.

"What is it?" his wife droned in response.

"I would like for things to be the way they used to be between us," he told her. "At one point, you were in love with me. I don't know what happened to change that-"

"I was never in love with you, Francesco," Ambra assured him. "I may have cared for you, I may have had love _for_ you, but I have never been _in love with_ you." Francesco wasn't exactly sure how he should handle this. Luckily, Ambra kept speaking, giving him more time to recover himself. "And there is no way we can return to that now. Not knowing what I know. Not having been through what you have subjected me to." Francesco sighed as he leaned heard against the cushioned wall of his carriage.

"I've told you that I'm sorry, Ambra," Francesco almost whined, but managed to maintain at least a small shred of his dignity.

"Which changes absolutely nothing," Ambra reminded him as she stared out of the window. She had no idea where she was at this point, and was trying desperately to memorize the landscape. Ezio would want to know where she was today, and she didn't want to disappoint him when he asked. "Where are we going first?"

"_La Banca di Venezia,"_ Francesco answered.

"Are you making a deposit or a withdrawal?" Ambra inquired, trying to sound disinterested.

"I'm making a trip to my safe deposit box, actually," Francesco replied, figuring that if he wanted to regain her favor, it would be best to disclose as much information as he could. She wasn't going to trust him if he never told her anything. "I'm retrieving my lease the our warehouse on the docks. We're moving the contents elsewhere."

"_We're?"_ Ambra inquired.

"Yes," Francesco replied. "My business associates have decided that there is no longer a use for it. I have to go down to the docks and see how much it will cost me to break the lease early."

"So _you_ have to pay the financial consequence for the decisions of your associates?" Ambra asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes," Francesco answered simply. "It's really not that big of a deal, and honestly it will probably be cheaper than whatever I would be paying in rent for the next few months. At least I hope it will be. Perhaps it will be good that you're with me, you can use your charms to soften the old man up." When it didn't seem like Ambra was too keen on helping him, Francesco added, "After all, the more money I save, the more money _you_ have to spend on your new clothes."

This got a smile from her.

"Maybe I can do something for you," she said with a shrug, and then it was Francesco's turn to smile. There was nothing that he liked more than the compliance of his wife.

Finally the carriage was venturing into familiar territory. She knew that they were only a few minutes away from the docks of Venice. The carriage carefully picked its way along the crowded streets, going slowly so as not to run anyone over. Ambra stared out of the window as young children came and ran in the wake of the vehicle, calling out for spare change. Any other time, their cries would have tugged at Ambra's heart, but right now she was too focused, taking in every detail she could. It was because she was so focused that she was able to pick out something familiar.

"Who lives in that house?" Ambra asked as she pointed, but was careful not to let her hand leave the window. Francesco leaned forward and glanced at the opulent _palazzo_ before settling back into his position.

"Giacomo DeCocco," Francesco answered. "The port master. You remember going there not too long ago, don't you? That was where we were the first time you had to leave a party because of illness." Ambra nodded in recognition. This must have been the house that Ezio was talking about. It was starting to make sense. Of course, the dock master would need to know about anyone coming or going through these ports. What's more, if someone needed to get in secretly, he could certainly arrange it. Doubtless, if Borgia would be arriving in Venice, he would want to have the dock master in his pocket.

"I thought it looked familiar," Ambra said in response as the carriage turned a corner and the bank came into view. She smirked at how advantageously placed this important financial institution was. Ambra was told to wait in the carriage while Francesco jumped down from the carriage and sauntered into the bank. She would have liked to go inside, but he left too quickly to listen to arguments.

Sitting calmly in the carriage, Ambra turned her attention to the world around her. She surrendered herself to daydreams of herself and Ezio hidden away somewhere safe where no one could ever bother them. Maybe somewhere by the sea. And they could just be happy family and have an army of miniature Ezio's running around. Maybe one little Ambra, but mostly little Ezios.

Francesco snapped her out of her reverie by slamming the door of the carriage.

"Sorry to make you wait, _cara_," he told her as he banged on the ceiling of the carriage and the driver continued on his way. "Now we're gong to the docks." Ambra just nodded as she continued staring out the window. She knew that they weren't very far from their destination. Perhaps another few minutes and she would actually get to get out of the carriage, which suited her. She was feeling a little restless now.

"This is as far as I can go, _Signore_," the driver said as he leaned back to speak into the open window. Ambra snapped to attention as she poised herself to get out of the carriage. "It's very busy today."

"_Va bene,"_ Francesco murmured as the door was opened for him and he stepped out and then offered Ambra his hand so that she could step down as well. As soon as her feet hit the pavement, eyes flocked to her, just as she wanted. Ezio had told her to dress conspicuously when she went out with her husband, as this would make it even easier for him to spot her should he need to. What's more, the more attention she drew to herself, the harder it would be for any of her husband's associates to do anything untoward to her in public.

"Mind your step, _cara_," Francesco urged as he took Ambra's hand and put it into the crook of his arm, "this is a rather unsavory part of town. It's really no place for women who aren't coming right off of a ship and into a carriage.

"I rather like it," Ambra assured him. "It's exciting." Francesco rolled his eyes as he continued to lead his wife through the crowd.

"You _would_ find this crude filth exciting," Francesco murmured.

"Can you blame me for wanting adventure after a month of nothing but dull dinner parties and even duller women?"

"I would have thought that at this point you would have had enough adventure," Francesco answered, which shut Ambra up promptly. "However, I am sure that I can arrange activities that are more suitable to your tastes." He squeezed the hand that was situated at his elbow. "You only have to tell me, _cuore mia._ I want you to be happy."

"Oh, spare me," Ambra pleaded as she rolled her eyes. They were coming closer to the Port Master's office.

"I thought we were meeting a man about your warehouse?" Ambra asked.

"I'm meeting him at the office," Francesco answered. "This is an official meeting. There is paperwork to be signed, deals to be cut. Since the warehouses are on the property of the dock, they are under the jurisdiction of the port master."

"Oh … but since you know him, won't you be able to conclude your business without any trouble?" Ambra inquired.

"Hopefully," Francesco answered, "but lately, things have been a lot harder than I have anticipated them to be." He looked meaningfully at his wife. "I like to prepare for the worst." Ambra quickly looked away. She knew what he was trying to do and she wasn't going to allow herself to be get sucked in by him. He wanted her to feel sorry for him. He wanted her to know that the past few weeks hadn't been a bed of roses for _him_, either.

She had to steel her resolve and not care. Regardless of how she felt about him now, it was still a little difficult to reverse seven years of being someone's wife. Though she hadn't been pleased at first, she had at least been able to learn to care about Francesco. She couldn't help but wonder about his position. How much of this was voluntary and how much was force?

Ambra forced these thoughts from her mind. There was an objective and she couldn't lose sight of it now. Not now that she was _finally_ getting somewhere.

Francesco opened the door to the dock master's office and held it while his wife entered. The building housed only one room, which was the office, and it was very neatly kept. Shelves upon shelves of humongous leather-bound ledgers consumed the entirety of one wall. Giacomo DeCocco sat at his desk in the middle of it all.

A middle-aged man with dark hair that was beginning to turn grey, DeCocco had a certain air of authority about him that Ambra imagined was necessary to a dock master. His brown eyes looked like they missed nothing, and when she was beneath their scrutinizing gaze, she was almost tempted to stand behind Francesco in order to escape his attention.

However, she fought that urge and held her ground.

"Giacomo," Francesco greeted the man warmly. Apparently they were friends. "I don't believe that I've ever introduced you to my wife." He pushed Ambra forward slightly, and she curtsied. Of course, Francesco didn't bother giving Ambra's name, for it wasn't important. _Mia moglie_ had been more than sufficient by way of introduction.

"_Piacere,"_ Giacomo said dismissively before looking back at Francesco. "I guess that you're here about that warehouse."

"Exactly right," Francesco assured him as he sat down. However, there was only one chair, so Ambra remained standing. She rolled her eyes and stood up straight. "I trust the owner will be here soon? We _did_ have an appointment."

"I'm sure that he'll be here soon," Giacomo stated as he looked down at a piece of paper in front of him and scribbled something onto it. Then he looked back up at Ambra, who was now idly looking around the room. "Why is your wife here?" Ambra bit her tongue at being spoken about as if she weren't there.

"Just trying to keep an eye on her," Francesco answered with an impish grin.

"If it's displeasing to you that I am here, _Signor_ DeCocco," Ambra began, "I would be happy to step outside."

"Makes no difference to me," he answered as the door opened once more and in walked a tall, well-dressed young man. His dark hair was tied neatly at the back of his head with a leather thong, so it was easy to see his face, a the center of which were his warm dark eyes and a nose that was slightly longer than it needed to be, but straight. He was dressed neatly in a white shirt, blue jacket, and white breeches.

He seemed surprised to see Ambra there, and stared at her for a few moments, as if trying to place her, before Francesco drew his attention over to the desk.

"_Signor_ DeGregorio," he greeted. "Thank you for joining us."

"I don't have much time," the new man droned in a bored voice. "What is this about?"

"I'll get straight to the point," Francesco answered. "I no longer have a need for the warehouse I'm renting." DeGregorio stared evenly at Francesco for a moment. Ambra tried to discreetly study his face. The look of recognition he had given her when he walked in was unsettling to her, and she needed to know where he had seen her before, if he had seen her at all. For sure, she did not remember him, but he wasn't that memorable. Sure, he was good-looking, but there were many men in Venice who looked just like him.

Ambra however, knew that she stuck out.

"I believe there is a clause in the contract that specifies consequences for breaking the lease early," DeGregorio replied with a voice just as even as his gaze.

"Yes, well I was hoping that we could come to sort of agreement-"

"So you'd like to break the lease without financial consequence," DeGregorio cut him off. When Francesco hesitated to answer, DeGregorio kept speaking. "Yes, apparently you do. That's not going to happen."

Francesco looked at Giacomo, who sighed as he sat back in his chair. "Now, Angelo, don't you think that you're being a little unreasonable?"

"No, actually," Angelo answered. "Francesco is holding the contract in his hand. He knows exactly what it says. And so do I, because I wrote it. There are no loopholes, no hidden fees, and no tricks. It's very straightforward. If you break the lease, you must pay me half of the remainder of the rent that would be due to me until the end of the lease. Sounds reasonable."

Francesco sighed. He had known about this clause. It was the only reason he had gotten such a cheap price on the rent.

"_Amico mio,"_ Giacomo began, placing extra emphasis on the word friend, "came to me hoping that some sort of deal could be struck. Now, if you let him out of the penalty, I'm sure that we can find some way of making it worth your while."

"Oh you think so?" Angelo inquired. "So you can make up for my having an empty warehouse until I can find someone else to use it?"

"Like I said, something can be arranged," Giacomo answered. However, all men knew that no money would be coming from Giacomo's pocket, or out of Giacomo's profit. He was only saying this to see what might come of it. Angelo DeGregorio, however, was wise to his tricks, having dealt with the man for some time.

"No," Angelo answered. "The contract stands. I will not be persuaded otherwise." Angelo looked at Ambra. "You must have thought that this would be easy, seeing as you brought your wife along. I'm sorry that I had to disappoint you."

"You can take Francesco's wife outside with you as you go," Giacomo stated. "I need to speak with Francesco on a more private matter. There is no need for her to be present."

"I-" Francesco began, ready to object, but he was cut off.

"You will _see_ her to her _carriage_," Giacomo said forcefully, looking at Francesco rather than Angelo.

"Gladly," Angelo answered as he offered Ambra his arm. "Shall we, _Signora?"_ Ambra was reluctant to leave the room, but it seemed that there would be no conversation until she was gone. Hopefully she would be able to worm something out of Francesco later.

Once she and Angelo were out of the office, he took it upon himself to strike up conversation. However, the topic he chose was most disagreeable to Ambra.

"Have I seen you somewhere before?" Angelo inquired of her.

"No, I don't think that you have," Ambra answered. "I don't often come down here, and when I have, I have not left the carriage."

"No, it wasn't here …" Angelo trailed off as he searched his memory banks. "I doubt that I would have remembered you if I had seen you here before. These docks get so busy, I can scarcely remember people that I see every day, let alone a new face. No … no … I own a few … establishments about town. Perhaps you have frequented one of them before."

"You seem to own a lot of things," Ambra stated, trying to evade the question.

"Yes, well, my father always used to tell me that property is power," Angelo told her. "Now … let's see … there is a bar I own down in the financial district. Perhaps I have seen you there?"

"I'm sure that you have not," Ambra answered. "Or anywhere for that-"

"I _remember_ now!" Angelo stated as the two of them stopped walking. "My inn. In the Dursoduro district. I was there one night to collect the rents. You were there with some rather unsavory looking characters. I remember your hair and your dour expression. You did not want to be there at all, it seemed."

Ambra's stomach dropped somewhere to the general area of her knees as she stopped walking as well. This man had seen her the night she had almost been raped, it sounded like.

"Yes, and _then_ you went upstairs with him," Angelo told her. "At the time I thought you were just a rather expensive prostitute. Now … well, God _knows_ what a married woman was doing in such an awful part of town with such undesirables. I saw the man that you left with, as well. Many around those parts know him well. Ezio Auditore. Yes, you got passed along rather quickly that evening.

Ambra fought to keep her expression neutral as the two of them finally continued their stroll.

"Such a pretty thing, I thought nothing of it at the time," Angelo stated as he took his free hand and ran one of his fingers through Ambra's hair. "In fact, I was hoping that you would come back so that I could have a taste of you. Perhaps I still can."

"I'll _thank_ you to keep your hands off of me, _Signore!" _Ambra snapped at him as she jerked herself from his grasp. "I don't know who you think you are, or who you think I am, but I can assure you that I have never been to such a place! Nor will I ever!"

Angelo just grinned wickedly.

"If your husband is at all associated with Giacomo DeCocco, which I think he is," he continued, "then he would be _most_ interestd to hear about your cavorting with a known assassin."Ambra did her best to look confused when really the only emotion she was feeling was pure terror. This man seemed to know way more than he should. "Oh now I've got your attention."

"_Che cosa vuoi?"_ Ambra asked, deadpan.

"Oh … I'm sure that I might be able to think of something," Angelo answered as the two of them came to the De Luca's carriage. "However, I guess right now isn't the time for us to discuss what it is I want." He kissed Ambra's hand as the coachman got down to open the door. "You can trust that I will be calling on you, though." The eyes that had seemed so warned when Ambra first saw them now seemed to burn a hole right through her soul with their hungry gaze. Ambra had a notion of what he might be asking for, and had no idea how she could possible avoid it.

"_Disgusting_ man," Ambra spat at him, but this only caused Angelo to laugh.

"You're not exactly in the position to be calling anyone names, _Signora De Luca_," he reminded her. "Now, be a good girl and get into your carriage. If your husband comes and I'm still here, well, I don't know _what _will come out of my mouth."

Ambra scowled at Angelo as he made a deep bow and then turned on his heel to saunter off into the crowd, leaving Ambra standing there in front of her open carriage, wondering how on earth she was going to deal with _this_ mess.

)o()o()o()o()o(

Voglio parlare a Francesco: I want to speak to Francesco

Cuore mia: my heart

Piacere: Pleased to meat you

Che cosa vuoi?: What do you want?


	24. Una Lama Nascosta

"Is everything all right, Ambra?" Francesco inquired of his wife when he got back into their carriage. Ambra wasn't looking too well at all, and immediately he started to become worried. "I can take you home if you like, you really needn't accompany me any further."

"No, I'm fine," Ambra assured him.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It's really no trouble."

"I'm _fine_, Francesco," Ambra repeated through gritted teeth. "Now, what was such a big secret that _Signor_ DeCocco could not talk about it in front of me?"

"Just boring business talk," Francesco assured her. "Nothing that would interest you in the slightest. I hope that Angelo was agreeable as he led you back here."

"A perfect gentleman," Ambra lied on a sigh, having been brushed off thusly. "Do you know him well?"

"Not really," Francesco answered with a shrug as the carriage finally started moving again. "I may have seen him around a few parties, but not often. He owns a lot of property. I expect it takes a lot of work to keep them all running smoothly."

"I bet," Ambra murmured. "You know, I think that I _would_ like to return home. I'm suddenly fatigued." She had suddenly lost all ambition to be Ezio's little spy for the day. This new development was too much for her, and she was starting to become stressed. What if he talked? It would all be ruined. Francesco would of course believe whatever he told him, especially _now_. Whatever the possible outcomes, Ambra knew that the stress wasn't good for the baby.

"Of course, _cara_," Francesco responded. "Whatever you like." He opened the window that separated the cab from the driver and gave instructions to return them to the palazzo. "I'm afraid that I cannot stay with you. I still have a few errands to run."

"Of course," Ambra answered. Francesco knew that she didn't care whether or not he stayed at the house with her. He wished that she did, though. Her coldness towards him was become rather boring. Eventually he was going to have to address it.

For now, though, he was content to drop his wife off in front of the door and watch as she entered. Seeing as he thought that his wife was going to be with him for the day, he had given the door guards a day off. He contemplated sending for them, but that would have been too much effort, and he had already wasted time carting Ambra all the way back home. No, he could dispense with the guards for the day. The only reason he could think to have them around would be to protect her from Adamo, anyway, and he knew that Grimaldi would not come sneaking around his house.

If there was one thing about Adamo Grimaldi, it was that he was very forthcoming. No, if he was going to kill her, he would walk in during dinner time and announce it before doing so.

)o()o()o()o(

Ambra sat in her private quarters staring out of the open window, hoping that Ezio would come soon. She had been waiting for over an hour for him. He must have been busy. Of course, he thought that she would be out all day, so she had to remind herself not to be cross with him.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Ezio's voice came from behind her.

"You look stressed, _dolcezza,"_ he murmured as he shut the door behind him. "What's wrong? What have you found out?"

"Nothing," Ambra stated as she turned around, "at least nothing _good._ But I did come across a problem."

"Well, tell me about it," Ezio urged as he crossed the room and put a hand on Ambra's cheek before kissing her lightly. "But sit down, first. You don't look well." Ambra, who wouldn't normally allow herself to be subjected to such coddling, lay down on her couch and allowed Ezio to put her head in his lap. "Tell me," he ordered as he removed some of his weapons so he could sit more comfortably.

"I came across a new acquaintance of Francesco's today," Ambra began, "or at least he was new to me. Angelo DeGregorio. Does the name ring any bells?"

"No. Should it?"

"I don't know," Ambra answered. "He owns the warehouse that Francesco rented by the docks. Among a few other places, such as the inn that you saved me in that one night when I was about to be … well, I think that you know what I'm talking about."

Ezio, who naturally had to be very quick, immediately started to pick up on exactly what was troubling Ambra.

"Did he recognize you?" he asked anxiously. Ambra nodded as she turned her face away from him. "Well? What does he want?"

"He didn't say," Ambra answered as she continued her staring out of the window. "I asked the same question and he said that he was sure that he could think of something."

"Well, that's good," Ezio told her, sounding relieved. "That means that I have some time to deal with him. What did you say his name was?"

"Angelo DeGregorio," Ambra repeated as she turned around to look at him once more. "What are you going to do to him?"

"I'm going to kill him, of course," Ezio responded as if he was speaking to a small child. Ambra's eyes widened as she stepped towards him.

"_Kill_ him?" Ambra demanded. "Can't you just … threaten him first? Maybe offer him some money for his silence? I have money."

"So do I, and so does he, I'm sure," Ezio reminded her. "Ambra, you and I both know that he is not going to want money." Ezio put a hand under her chin and brought her face up so that she had to look at him. "He's most likely going to ask for _you._ I'd rather spare you from that situation. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, _dolcezza._"

"So you're just going to kill him, just like that?" Ambra asked, her voice raising an octave or so. She was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of someone dying for her sake.

"Yes," Ezio answered simply. "I know that this might be hard for you to consider, Ambra, but killing people is kind of what I do. I am an assassin. I am not always as I am when I am with you. In fact, I am hardly _ever_ the way I am when I am with you." Realizing that this wasn't making her feel better, Ezio placed a small kiss on her lips. "Do not worry, _cara_. I do not mind doing this for you. I have killed for you before, remember?"

"Yes, but that man was ready to rape and probably kill me," Ambra reminded Ezio.

"And you think that this Angelo will do any less?" Ezio inquired. "Granted, he might dispense with killing you, but only because he will want you back a few more times to have his way with you. You can't let someone with something like this to dangle over your head live, Ambra. I'm _going_ to kill him. Don't worry. He deserves to die, probably, if he is associating with Templars."

"I don't think that he associates with _just_ Templars," Ambra told him. "The reason I met him was because Francesco was trying to get him to get rid of the penalty clause in the lease on the warehouse. He wouldn't. I think he is just your normal, everyday businessman."

"It _doesn't matter_, Ambra," Ezio told her, not sure what she wasn't understanding. "I can't have him alive if he is a threat to you. The fact that Francesco will probably benefit from his death is a drawback, but you and our secret are far more important to me right now. You're not going to change my mind about this. The man _will_ die."

"How will you find him?" Ambra inquired.

"I have my ways," Ezio assured her. "Don't worry. You are going to be perfectly safe, and no one is going to tell our secret. Provided he hasn't told anyone else, of course. I'll be sure to ask him before I kill him."

"Ugh, please don't use that word," Ambra scoffed, shuddering at Ezio's nonchalance as she stood up to go back to the window, where she stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Ezio stared at her back for a moment before sighing and going over to stand behind her. He put his hand on her shoulder and used the other hand to move the curtain of her hair to the side so that he could kiss her neck.

"I do love this about you," he told her. "You're not part of my world of death and destruction, and it is refreshing. Believe me, I would do anything possible to keep you pure. As it is, sometimes, killing it necessary. I promise you that he will not feel pain. It will be fast and merciful."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Ambra murmured.

"He probably deserves to die," Ezio tried.

"Don't I deserve to die?" Ambra inquired. "Don't you?"

"You certainly don't," Ezio assured her as he hugged her from behind. "As for me, well, I don't know. I've only ever killed evil people. It's just not as simple as good and bad, Ambra. The world isn't black and white. I like to think that when I die, I'll have a chance to go to heaven instead of heading straight to hell." He turned her around and gave her a proper embrace. "Don't worry, your hands will stay clean. I'll do it for you. You have nothing to worry about."

"I have much to worry about," she corrected him.

"Well, keep this little issue off of your plate, then," Ezio suggested. "_This_ I am happy to take on my shoulders. He has threatened you, he has to die." He felt that he was getting a little redundant, but he did want to try and offer her some comfort. Ambra, realizing that there was no point in trying to dissuade him, just sighed audibly.

"Do what you must," she groaned as she went back to the couch and plopped down on it, closing her eyes as she let her head collapse over the back of the couch. "I need to go to sleep."

"Too much for you?" Ezio asked with a small smirk on his face. "If I am asking too –"

"No," Ambra assured him. "I am fine. Just a little tired. Apparently it's a common symptom of early pregnancy." The word pregnancy suddenly reminded Ezio that she _was_ indeed having a baby. Sometimes he forgot. He laughed as he speculated that it was probably a defense mechanism that his brain naturally turned to in order to keep himself from losing his head. If he lived with the constant thought that Ambra was having his child, there was no way that he would ever get anything done.

"All right, so the issue of Angelo is resolved. What else happened to you today?" Ambra shrugged.

"I didn't stay out for very long," Ambra reminded him. "But Giacomo DeCocco is definitely a Templar. He owns the house that Rosa must have gone into when you were looking for me. He's the dock master.

Ezio nodded as he started to pace.

"That makes sense," Ezio murmured to himself. "If the Templars run the docks, they basically have the entire city in the palms of their hands. They have the power to put _Venezia_ in a chokehold if they so chose." And Ezio knew that they very well might so choose.

"Not to mention, it makes smuggling easier," Ambra told him. "I'm pretty sure that's _Francesco's_ main source of income. I can't imagine that the rest of them are all that different."

"Smuggling …" Ezio trailed off, agreeing with Ambra. "And not just goods, either. They could bring-"

"People," Ambra finished for him. "I thought about that. They'll bring in that visitor that you're expecting that way, won't they?" Ezio nodded.

"Sharp girl," he told her. "It would be _exceedingly easy _for them to sneak things in into the city." He sat down next to Ambra and gathered her into him. "We have to be prepared for anything, _cara_," he told her. "Anything and everything." He stopped hugging her and held her at arms length as he gazed intently at her face. "My main objective is always to keep you safe, but in order for me to do that, you're going to have to work with me."

"I _am_ working with you," Ambra reminded him.

"No, I mean that you're going to have to listen to me," Ezio corrected her. "When I tell you to do something, it is most likely for your own safety. I can't risk you dying, Ambra." He put a hand on her still flat belly. "You're far too precious to me."

"Well, don't worry," Ambra assured him as she put her hand over his. "I don't want to die, either. Now, what are we going to do about Giacomo?"

"You're going to have to see him again," Ezio told her. Ambra nodded.

"I guess that there is nothing for it, then," she said on a sigh. "I'm going to have to host a dinner party. This is too delicate to wait to be invited."

Ezio wasn't quite sure about this suggestion, and voiced his opinion. "If you throw a party, Adamo is most likely going to arrive as well. I'd just as soon keep you away from him."

"I'll be fine," Ambra assured him hurriedly, "I'll just make sure that I am never alone with him. We will be on _my_ turf. I'll be completely safe. Francesco doesn't really want him near me, either. Who knows? Perhaps my husband will keep Adamo from coming. Though I don't think that would be in our best interests. Adamo is their leader. If he doesn't come, the rest of the Templars will know that something has happened. They might shut Francesco out of their inner circle. If that happens, I'm useless to you and-"

"You will never be useless to me, Ambra," Ezio assured her as he put a calming hand on her face to stop her rambling. "But you _do_ make a good point. It will be odd if Adamo does not come. Just be careful, _amore mio."_

"I'm always careful," Ambra said with a mischievous grin.

"Now there is the story of the century …"

)o()o()o()o()o(

"Are you feeling any better, my love?" Francesco asked as he walked back into his house, surprised to see that his wife was waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase. She walked towards him and gave him a hug and a kiss. Francesco must have looked rather shocked, for Ambra backed up and regarded him strongly.

"_Sto bene_, is everything all right with _you?"_ she inquired.

"Yes," Francesco lied. Ambra looked dubious, but did not mention her apprehension. Instead she decided that she would get right to the point.

"I was thinking that we might host a dinner party," Ambra suggested. This definitely caught Francesco off guard. He raised his eyebrow and waited for Ambra to continue, which she did. "I don't like your friends thinking that I am somehow in league with your enemy," she told him. "I just think it would be nice if I threw a party for them. To show them that I am fully on board."

"You're fully on board?" Francesco inquired.

"Of course I am, Framcesco," she answered. "When you prosper, I prosper."

"Glad to see your motives are pure …" Francesco trailed off as he started to walk up the stairs.

"Oh, don't be like that," Ambra cooed as she followed him. "And this will be fun. We'll have a five course dinner … and performers. I'll hire musicians. And flowers. There will be flowers everywhere. It will be a _real _party. Not the stuffy ordeals that pass for entertainment in this city."

"Don't get too carried away, my love," Francesco suggested. "We don't want your country roots showing through. These people are used to events that are a little more … urbane."

"Who cares what they are used to?" Ambra inquired. "I'll show them real fun. They'll be glad that they came."

)o()o()o()o()o(

"Ezio!" Leonardo Da Vinci greeted his good friend as he walked into his workshop. "It has been a while, friend! What brings you here?"

"I have a favor to ask of you," Ezio answered as he leaned against one of the worktables, careful not to upset that contraption that was resting on it.

"You always do," Leonardo said on a joking sigh. "Well, I hope that I can deliver. What is it?"

"I need another hidden blade," he told him. Leonardo's eyes went immediately to Ezio's wrists, where he knew his favored weapons were hidden.

"Have you broken one of yours?" he asked. "You probably don't need a new one. I can fix it for you."

"It's not for me," Ezio told Leonardo. "It's … for someone else." Leo raised his eyebrows.

"Who?"

Ezio ignored the question and continued to explain his needs. "It needs to be smaller. _Much _smaller. Can you put one in say … a cuff bracelet?"

"You want me to make a hidden blade for a woman?" Leo deduced. Ezio knew that he wasn't going to be able to keep it from Leo. "For your _Ambra_ perhaps?" Ezio fought a blush. "I am surprised, Ezio, and maybe a little impressed. You've never been so … consistent with a girl before." Ezio just shrugged. He didn't feel the need to explain to Leo what Ambra meant to him. The fewer people who knew, the better. "Well, I think that I can do it. The cuff will be larger than the average bracelet, and the blade will be quite small, but a good size for a woman."

"_Grazie, _Leo," Ezio thanked his friend. "Can you make it in silver?"

"Yes, of course."

"And … make it pretty," Ezio continued. "I'm going to give it to her as a gift and-"

"Ahhh, just what every girl wants," Leo began, "a deadly weapon. Don't worry, Ezio. I am an artist, after all. All of her friends will want one just like it. In three different colors." Ezio smiled and shook Leo's hand.

"How long do you think it will take?"

"I don't have anything else on my plate," Leo answered. "I'll get right to work on it. Two days, at least. Perhaps three."

"I'll check back in two days to see your progress," Ezio told him. Leo just nodded as he got out a piece of parchment and started to make a rough sketch of what he would do with the cuff. Making a mechanism this intricate in such a small size was going to take some work, but he welcomed the challenge. In fact, he was glad for it. If he could complete this task, it would be _quite_ impressive. It had been quite some time since his talent was truly exercised.

)o()o()o()o()o(

Late the next evening, Francesco stood on the docks of Venice, watching as a ship pulled up to the pilings. The _Ariana_ was a large boat, with an equally large cargo. For the most part, it was some livestock, wool, grain … the normal things. But, hidden in the rolls of wool were about two hundred bottles of French cognac. The tax on these items would have been ridiculous, so Francesco had to find other means of bringing them into the city to be sold.

Thinking that he was by himself, he had let his guard down and was leaning against one of the pilings as he waited for the deckhands to tie the ship off. Naturally, he was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Managing not to jump and scream like a woman, he turned around to see Adamo Grimaldi staring at him.

"Fancy seeing you here at this hour …" he trailed off. "What on Earth are you waiting for?" Francesco sighed and turned back around, trying to focus on the men working. "Come, now. Are you still angry with me?"

"You tried to rape my wife," Francesco answered. "It might take me a little while to get over that."

"Oh, it was all in good fun," Adamo assured him as he stood next to him and started to watch the people milling about as well. For the late hour, it was rather busy. "And there was no harm done. Obviously your wife does not hold it against me. I was rather pleased to receive her invitation today." Francesco, shocked that Ambra had invited him, did his best to hide his surprise and confusion. What was his wife up to, now? "I look forward to the party, will some of the cognac you're waiting for be on the menu?"

"I thought that you had asked me what I was doing here when I arrived," Francesco remarked, still not looking at him.

"Oh, as if there is anything that goes on amongst the Templars in this city that I do not know about," Adamo answered. "I heard about your meeting with Angelo yesterday. I'm sorry that he is being so unreasonable. It will doubtless cost you dearly to break that lease." Adamo, of course, had made sure that Angelo would not allow Francesco to get away without paying the penalty by paying him to stay firm. Angelo DeGregorio was making quite a mint off of this deal.

Francesco just shrugged. "It will be a little painful, but I'll recover quickly. Especially with this shipment here, and the one that I am bringing in next week. Who knows, perhaps now that you no longer have a need for the warehouse, I'll just continue to use it myself and double my productivity while avoiding paying the lump sum for breaking the lease."

Adamo did his best to hide his displeasure at this. He knew that it was possible, and if Francesco found better means of supporting himself without Adamo, his hold over him would be gone.

"You may want to be careful about that," Adamo told him. "I would hate for the police to find out about these little evening trips you take the docks." Francesco exhaled slowly through his nose as he closed his eyes. He did not think that he would ever regret becoming involved with Adamo Grimaldi. In fact, he was sure that he would think it was the best decision of his life. He would become wealthy and powerful and travel amongst the elite circles of Venice.

Instead he realized that he was indeed under this man's thumb. Doubtless he even owned the police, or at least some of them. But that would be enough.

"Anyway, please tell your beautiful wife that I am pleased to accept her invitation that I look forward to continuing the conversation we started at my house." He patted on Francesco on his shoulder and continued on his way. "And don't you worry," he said as he continued to walk. "I _will_ finish that conversation."

)o()o()o()o()o(

Ambra stood in the middle of her reception hall as all of her servants milled around her. Her party would be beginning in a few hours. Francesco had gone for the day, not wanting anything to do with the preparations of this event. Ambra of course didn't mind. She loved the freedom.

"Oh! The flowers!" she exclaimed as three men walked in with huge baskets filled with lilies and white roses. She was even _more_ excited when she recognized one of the faces. Ezio Auditore, hood removed, was walking in with one of the baskets. It took Ambra a moment to get over her surprise, but she quickly recovered herself and walked over to talk to him.

"_Che diavolo stai facendo?"_ she hissed at him when she got close enough to take the basket he was carrying and place it on a nearby table.

"I saw that the window was open, but when I went to your room there was no one there," Ezio answered.

"So you decide to just walk in the front door?" Ambra inquired, trying to keep her face benign so as not to attract attention from the rest of the servants.

"Got your attention, didn't I?" Ezio inquired. "Can we continue this conversation somewhere more private?"

"Walk out the front door," Ambra ordered, "so that everyone sees you do it. I'll head up to my room once you are gone." Ezio nodded, made a courtly bow, and turned on his heel to exit. Ambra took a deep breath and watched as Ezio left, and then turned to Valentina, who was passing by.

"I am not feeling well," she told her maid. "I will be in my room for a while. Please make sure that no one disturbs me." It took a moment for Valentina to understand her mistress's meaning, but soon enough she gave a knowing look and nodded emphatically. Ambra thanked the girl and then walked slowly up the stairs.

When she reached her room, Ezio was of course waiting for her. Briefly wondering how he managed to complete these feats, she walked over to him and embraced him. It had been a few days since they had seen each other. She had been beginning to expect the worst.

"Where have you been?" she spoke into his armor.

"Busy, _amore_," he answered. "Searching for your Angelo. He has proven to be a little slippery."

"So you haven't found him, yet?" Ambra inquired, surprised.

"Not yet," Ezio answered. "But I will. He just has very many places to stay, and he must have a lot of enemies because he doesn't stay in one for very long." Ambra nodded.

"Well, I put him on the guest list for this party," she told him. "Perhaps he will be here."

"You didn't tell me that!" Ezio exclaimed, marveling at Ambra's presence of mind.

"Well I haven't seen you," she reminded him. "Otherwise I would have told you. Of course, just because he was invited does not mean that he will be here, but there is always the chance. And I signed the invitations personally, so hopefully seeing that I want him here will attract him."

"Brilliant," Ezio praised as he reached into the folds of his cape. "I have something for you." True to his word, Leo had created Ambra's blade in two days. He hadn't seen the finished product yet, as Leo had already wrapped it before Ezio arrived to pick it up.

"Oooh!" Ambra exclaimed as she took the box from Ezio's hands and turned it over a few times, wondering what it was. "What's the occasion?"

"I was under the impression that men typically present gifts to their lovers," Ezio answered. "Well, are you going to open it?" Smiling, Ambra carefully unwrapped the decorative paper that enclosed the box and took off the lid. She gasped when she set eyes on the beautiful silver cuff that lay inside.

It was rather large for a bracelet. Perhaps about three inches in length, but it was positively stunning. The bright silver had an intricate, swirling design carved into it. Ezio, who was familiar with Leonardo's work, was familiar with some of the symbols that the artist customarily used to adorn his creations, such as the fleur-de-lis, but most of the design seemed completely arbitrary. Ezio also noted the ring that Ambra would use to open the blade.

"_Ezio! È bello!"_

"And functional," Ezio told her. "May I?" he held his hand out and Ambra placed the cuff and attached ring, which she thought was a little strange but didn't have the heart to tell him so. Obviously, Ezio was not going to be able to fit the small, delicate cuff on his own wrist, so he took Ambra's hand and put both the cuff and the ring in place. Ambra immediately noticed that it felt much heavier than it looked.

"I can't always be with you," he began, "and sometimes you may need to take care of yourself in my absence." He took her hand and opened it forcefully, flicking her wrist down as he did so, revealing the small blade, no bigger than her palm and a lot thinner than Ezio's blade, but wickedly sharp. Ambra gasped and pulled her hand away, closing it into a fist and curling it so that the blade retracted back into its hiding place.

"He did a good job on it," Ezio remarked absently, calming down once he realized that Ambra hadn't sliced any limbs off in her shock.

"Ezio! Just what-"

"Hush, _dolcezza_," Ezio quieted her as he took her by the hand to make sure she didn't make any sudden movements. "Like I said, I worry about you when I am not with you. This is for your own protection. I considered giving you a regular knife," he reached down to cup her thigh through her dress with his free hand, "but the only suitable place to for a woman to keep a knife is under her dress. And at times that can be a difficult place to reach. Of course I would know. This will be much easier for you to access in a time of need."

Ambra held up her hand and examined the seemingly innocent cuff. She had no idea how it had been made. Even Ezio's blades were at least visible if you looked at the inside of his wrists, but she could see nothing at all. The blade seemed to be housed _within_ the cuff.

"This is amazing," she said to him.

"Quite. Leo has outdone himself," Ezio agreed. "Of course, it is a lot more delicate than mine. But I also don't expect you to be entering into combat any time soon. It's for close quarters, easy to use if under attack."

"You really think that I need this?" Ambra asked, uncomfortable with the thought of constantly having a weapon concealed about her person.

"I _hope_ that you will not need it," Ezio assured her. "This is just a precaution." He straightened out her arm once more. "You activate it this way." He opened her hand again, making her flick her wrist down. "You must complete both actions at the same time, otherwise it won't work. Once it's open, you can close your hand into a fist, but you can't curl your wrist in, or it will retract. It might take a bit of practice, but you will get it."

"I've never used a weapon before, Ezio," she told him. "I've never even struck a person before. Unless you count my sisters. And Adamo, but that was definitely in self-defense, and it was a natural action." She removed her wrist from Ezio's hand and then closed the blade. Then, she opened her hand and flicked her wrist down, getting a small chill as she heard the steel hissing as it showed itself.

"You're a natural," Ezio told her.

"A natural …" she repeated.

"Just because you have natural dexterity does not mean that you are a natural killer," Ezio assured her as he closed her hand.

"Let's hope it stays that way," Ambra murmured, "but who knows what necessity will bring." Ezio chuckled and kissed her on her forehead. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"Because you are so good," he answered. "Most of my friends have killed multiple people in their lives and think nothing of it. It's refreshing to be with someone who doesn't share my … affinity for bloodshed." Now Ambra laughed.

"I'm glad I can offer you some relief from the mundane," she murmured sarcastically. She walked to the other side of the room, holding her arm at an awkward angle, aware of the weapon at her wrist. "This little accessory completely changes all of my plans."

"I'm truly sorry that my concern for your safety did not go along with your wardrobe choice for the evening," Ezio answered with a dry tone. "When does the party start?"

"Three hours," Ambra answered. "Why? Did you plan on making an appearance?"

"Actually, I did," Ezio answered. "A covert one, of course. It's unfortunate that your husband is familiar with me. I'm quite sure that if I dressed more inconspicuously, most of the Templars wouldn't notice me. As it is …"

"You will come nowhere near my house this evening," Ambra finished for him. "I don't need you causing drama."

"What if Angelo comes?" Ezio inquired. Ambra sighed. He made a good point.

"Fine, you can watch the door," she conceded. "From a distance."

"It is amusing to me that you assume you can tell me what to do," Ezio told Ambra.

"It is amusing to _me_ that you underestimate just how suspicious everyone is of me," Ambra responded. "If anyone sees you near this house during that party, I doubt that I will ever see daylight again."

"I'll be careful, _dolcezza_," he promised her as he kissed her forehead once more. "In the mean time, though, I have a few things that I need to do." He touched the cuff on her wrist before stepping out on the balcony. His usual way out would be unwise today with the entire staff of the house milling about. "Practice with this, will you? A weapon is useless if you don't know how to use it."

)o()o()o()o()o(

Sto bene: I am well

È bello!: It's beautiful!

Che diavolo stai facendo?: What the hell are you doing?


	25. Ci Divertiamo

Color was always such a tough decision. By now, Ambra knew what colors made her look her best, and what colors she should avoid, but it was difficult with all of her red hair. There were only so many nice colors that would go with it, and she hated how boring it was to just cycle through them, when women with brown or blonde hair and no freckles could just wear anything they pleased.

These were the thoughts that occupied Ambra's mind as she prepared herself for the party. With all of the decorations seen to, there was nothing left for her to do but decorate herself. Wanting to be true to the theme of the evening, she refused to pin her hair up. Instead she let it fall in amber waves across her bare, speckled shoulders as she stood in front of her wardrobe in her chemise.

There were three dresses in the large armoire that she had yet to wear. And she wanted to wear them soon, for in a few months she would not be able to fit into them.

"Dare I …?" Ambra asked herself as she fingered a dress made of an pink silk, with yellow and gold thread accenting the sleeves and the bodice. It was the dress she had planned on wearing in the first place, but Ezio's new jewelry had put a damper on _that_ plan. Instead, she opted for plum-colored satin with pale orange accents on the built-in corset of the bodice. _"Forse la volta prossima."_

)o()o()o()o()o(

Still and silent as a statue, Ezio stood on the roof of one of the houses near Ambra's. It was summer, so the daylight lasted well into the evening, thankfully, not that it would matter once it got dark. With his eagle vision, Ezio wouldn't miss a thing.

He wasn't sure why he felt so compelled to watch the party. If everything went according to plan, he wouldn't be needed. Well, besides the assassination of Angelo DeGregorio. But even so, that he could have done after. In fact it would be _better_ if he waited until everyone was leaving.

The truth was, it was Adamo that he was worried about, and what he might do to Ambra. Though he was sure that Francesco at least did not trust Adamo as he once did, he did not believe that, faced with peer pressure and the man himself, he would do what was right for Ambra.

"If only I could just get inside …" Ezio thought to himself. He was doing no good to her out here, watching the exterior of the house. Besides, there was only so much entertainment he could get from brightly colored dresses.

"There's no help for it, then …" Ezio trailed off as he grabbed onto the edge of the roof and started to swing his way down. His boots thudded as he made contact with the cobbles and started to walk straight forward. In anticipation of this particular course of action, he had worn normal clothing. Not having been to a party in a while, he had to acquire some, but he had managed.

His attire was simple and tasteful, not nearly as flamboyant as his normal clothing. He wore simple black pants tucked into tall black boots. A crisp, white shirt was tucked into the pants, and a silver vest completed the ensemble. He wondered what Ambra would do if she saw him there, but was determined to remain undetected, even by her. Since he had been watching the doors, he was sure that there were enough people inside the palazzo by now to remain hidden.

Hopefully, the guards at the door did not know what he looked like.

)o()o()o()o()o()o(

For the first time since she had arrived in Venice, Ambra was actually having a good time at a party. Of course, the party was her own, but that didn't really matter. The music was fast, the wine was flowing freely, as were Ambra's feet as she reeled about the room, flitting from guest to guest to receive congratulations on the wonderful party. Her vanity had yet to be better served by this city. She had to concentrate very hard to remain focused.

Foremost in her mind was Giacomo DeCocco, who was standing on the left side of the room with a group of gentlemen. They seemed to be discussing something amusing, and Ambra wasn't sure about whether or not it was time to interrupt. They had been talking for at least forty-five minutes.

Rather than interrupt, Ambra decided that it would be wise to wander over in their general direction. Once she got close enough to hear them speak, she started turned her back to them and pretended that she was watching the activity in the room.

"It's something to think about, Giacomo," one of the men that Ambra didn't know told the man. He was tall, thin, and very young, but he carried himself the way those who have always belonged to the upper class do. Ambra assumed that he was a part of the aristocracy, or at least an extremely wealthy merchant … or perhaps the son of one. "If we joined-"

"I am _perfectly_ fine with the way my port is now," Giacomo cut off the man. "Every single person is the potential for a leak. One leak or two … that won't sink a ship. At least not quickly. Too many people complicate things. Soon there will be far too many … delicate cargos coming through that port. The more private the better."

"But think of all the money-"

"Money I have, Giglio," Giacomo cut him off once more. "But believe me, if I keep going the way I am going now, I am going to have _more_ than money. The things that are about to happen … you cannot imagine what Grimaldi and Il Maestro have planned for this city. For us. All we have to do is help them, quietly, and we will have more than we can even _dream_. You just have to be patient. You young people … you have no patience."

Ambra was leaning so far over to hear this conversation that she was practically falling over.

"Hearing anything interesting, _Signora DeLuca?_" Ambra jumped at the intrusion and turned to look into the eyes of Angelo DeGregorio. This was rather unfortunate, but Ambra remembered that it could have been worse. Adamo could have been the one to come upon her eavesdropping.

"No," Ambra answered nonchalantly with a shrug, "but I never hear anything interesting when I listen to men talk. It's all business and money and … cargo."

"You _should_ be interested in these things," Angelo told her as he fingered the soft silk on her arms. "After all, these things pay for all this finery. A lovely party, by the way."

"I'm pleased that you accepted my invitation," Ambra replied.

"Did you think that I would not?" Angelo inquired. "You had to know that I would love the chance to see and … talk with you again." Ambra didn't know how to answer that, so she chose to change the subject.

"So, do _you_ know what they are talking about over there?" Ambra jerked her head in the direction of Giacomo and his little group of apparent admirers.

"Oh," Angelo answered, "I might. But do you really think that I am going to tell you?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"For one," Angelo began, "you are a woman. For another, I'd rather not be responsible for any information that Ezio Auditore da Firenze receives."

"What makes you think that I would tell Ezio?" Ambra inquired. Angelo just smiled at her for a moment, looking like a cat who had just found an injured mouse.

"I know what a woman who has been well-bedded looks like," he answered. "And I know the look of a man who hasn't had … carnal pleasure in a while. Both you and your husband exhibit these traits. You will agree that there is a discrepancy here, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ambra replied. "I have been nothing but faithful to my husband."

"You don't have to lie to me, _Signora_," Angelo told her. "I saw you that night."

"You saw me in the hands of a captor who was preparing to rape me," Ambra told him, "and then you saw Ezio Auditore escort me from the premises when no one else would. That is the only thing you saw."

"True," Angelo agreed, "but, my favorite whore works at _La Rosa della Virtù._ She saw a few things that night, as well." Ambra breathed in deeply. So he did know a bit. That was troublesome. "I see that I have rung a bell here. Luckily for you, I am a businessman. I'm always willing to cut a deal." Ambra's stomach dropped.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I contemplated this myself," Angelo answered. "At first I was thinking that I would just ask for … physical compensation. But then I figured that I could get so much more than that. I _do_ have quite a bargaining chip after all. I know your husband quite well, _Signora,_ and I know what he would do if he found out that you were being unfaithful to him."

"But you decided that you might want something different?" Ambra asked, trying to make him cut to the chase.

"Not different," he answered. "Just additional. I obviously want your body … freckled as it might be. But there is also something that I want from Auditore."

"You realize that if you speak to Ezio, he will kill you before he answers to your demands."

"Oh, I assumed as much," Angelo answered. "But I will not be going anywhere near Auditore, and he's not going to find me. No, we will speak through you. I want the thieves' guild in this city to answer to me."

Ambra kept her mouth closed because she was pretty sure that if she spoke it would be a loud interrogative that would draw attention. Her face conveyed all that she wanted to ask.

"The thieves are lucrative," he answered. "I want a cut of all they make. I know how much they steal from the docks alone. I'll take my fair share now that I have something to hold over Auditore's head. And before you try to tell me that he has no pull in that circle, I must tell you that I'm sure that I know a lot more about the underworld of _Venezia_ than you possibly could."

"I do not doubt that," Ambra assured him. "I will speak to Ezio about this for you."

"Good," Angelo said. "In that meantime … there is still the score to settle between me and _you_."

)o()o()o()o()o()o(

Ezio watched from the balcony as Ambra conversed with whom he assumed to be Angelo DeGregorio. He was rather close for his liking, and when the man reached out to touch Ambra on the arm, every muscle in Ezio's body tensed. Being that he didn't have a cape to hide them, he had left his hidden blades behind, but that didn't mean that he wasn't armed to the teeth, and every blade on him practically sang with the desire to be bathed in DeGregorio's blood.

The only reason he remained where he was standing was the room full of people. Doubtless, Ambra was safe for now. But only for now. Adamo Grimaldi was now moving towards her as well. Ezio wondered where the hell Francesco was and why he didn't take better care of his wife.

"Leave us," Adamo waved Angelo away as he approached Ambra, who did her best to keep a stony look on her face. The last thing she wanted to do was to convey fear. Reluctantly, Angelo backed away, but not without leaning over and telling Ambra that they were not done speaking.

"Interesting company you keep," Adamo continued as he watched Angelo walk away. "Thinking about sleeping with him to so that he will cut your husband a break?"

"That wasn't the plan," Ambra answered, "but now that you mention it, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. After all, I will do anything I can to help my husband."

"Well aren't you just the perfect little wife?" Adamo inquired. "Besides the adultery, that is. That he might not be so happy about."

"I have never been anything but faithful to my husband," Ambra told him evenly.

"You are trying my patience again, _Signora_," Adamo told her through gritted teeth. "Do not think that just because we are in your house that I cannot do anything to you." He raised his hand and slapped her across the face. Hard. All of the people around them looked, but no one would dare stop what they were doing and let their gaze linger, let alone say something. "Do you see, Ambra? I own this city." He held up his fist. "It is in my grasp. There is nothing that you or Auditore can do to change that."

At the smack, Ezio jerked forward, but would not allow himself any more than a twitch. Somehow, he stayed where he was, maintaining this distance. For now, Angelo was not such a priority. But, Ezio had to remind himself that if he wanted to know for sure what Borgia was planning, he was going to have to let Adamo live for a little longer. That wasn't to say that he couldn't cut off a hand, though. Or at least a finger.

"Now, if you do not want me to kill you, or tell your husband what you have been up to with Auditore and _then_ let _him_ kill you, you will listen to what I have to say."

"I will do no such thing," Ambra answered. "I have no secrets from my husband. You may tell him what you wish, but he does not trust you anymore. He will believe my word before he believes yours."

"Even so. You will listen to me," Adamo told her. "Now, I know that you have not been home in a while, but I'm sure that you remember _la tua sorellina,_ Allegra." At the mention of her sister, Ambra froze. "Yes, I thought this might work. Nothing else seems to. You care nothing for your own body, for you know that Auditore will protect it, and if not you are unhappy enough with your life, with your murderous husband, to allow yourself to die. However, I did not think that you would be so careless with the life of your little sister."

"Is she _here_, in _Venezia?_" was all Ambra could manage.

"Let's just say that she is close enough where, if I gave the order, she would be dead very quickly," Adamo told her. "Good. It would appear that I have your attention, now. Are you ready to start cooperating?"

"I can only do what I am able," Ambra responded, doing her best to remain calm. It wasn't going to help her if she started giving away secrets now.

"Well, hopefully you are able," Adamo said under his breath. "The only reason I brought you and your husband to this city was to draw out the assassin, and so far you have failed in this aspect. You have both been essentially useless to me, but no longer. I will now have your help _knowingly._ Auditore _will_ be placed within my grasp, and you are the one who is going to put him there, unless you want your sister to die."

"I haven't _really _spoken to Ezio in years," Ambra insisted. "We might as well be strangers." She saw that Adamo was about to open his mouth, but he interrupted. "But that doesn't mean that I am not willing to comply. If you hurt my sister-"

"How are you going to comply if you haven't-"

"Ezio Auditore always has been and always will be something of a lady's man. What's more he is competitive. My husband essentially snatched me from his hands," she figured that there was no hurt in stretching the truth. "It might take me some time, but I will be able to get a hold of Ezio. And if I can reach him, I can get him to trust me enough to follow me into a trap. I suppose that is what you are suggesting, yes?"

"If nothing else, you are at least smart," Adamo told her.

"_Grazie,"_ Ambra replied dryly. "But you have to give me time. I do not know how to get in touch with him."

"As long as you are actively helping me, your sister will be safe," Adamo assured her. "I'm not some sort of monster, after all. I won't touch her."

"Somehow I don't believe you," Ambra stated. "If you _touch_ my sister, so help me-"

"As touching as this little display of sisterly protectiveness is," Adamo cut her off, "I'll let you save your breath. You know that you cannot touch me. I _will_ get what I want, Ambra." Ambra cringed at his use of her first name. It rolled off his tongue with a sense of intimacy that made her skin crawl. "_Now_ I see that you are properly fearful. Don't forget this feeling, Ambra. It will keep both you and your sister alive."

He lightly touched Ambra's cheek. "You're very pretty when you're scared." Ambra said nothing as she turned her head away from Adamo and gazed at the floor. Adamo merely smiled as he kissed her hand before walking away, leaving her standing there, still gazing at the floor.

Belatedly, Ambra realized what she looked like and lifted her head with a smile. A few of her guests regarded her strangely. Obviously they were wondering what had just passed between the two, but none of them would dare ask. Ambra merely smiled at them before gliding away as if nothing had happened at all. Ezio, however, stood where he was.

He would admit that Ambra had handled that quite well. It appeared that Adamo believed that she really did not know him, but now he felt that he was in a somewhat tense situation. Would Ambra really turn him in for the sake of her sister? He obviously would not be able to blame her if she did. If either of his brothers were still alive …

Ezio shook his head to remove those thoughts from his mind. Instead he turned to possible solutions to this situation. Obviously some sort of rescue would have to be staged. Not only could he not allow Adamo to have anything to hold over her head, but it was clear that this news troubled Ambra deeply. She had disappeared rather quickly.

"_Idiota,"_ Ezio berated himself for losing track of her. His eyes scanned the room, looking for that telltale red hair. He didn't see it, but he _did_ spot Angelo, and he was moving towards the back of the main hallway. No one had called for dinner yet, so Ezio couldn't see why he would be heading that way, unless he was following Ambra. Either way, he was heading away from the party, which would mean that he would have ample chance to kill him without making a scene.

He moved carefully through the crowd, keeping his head ducked so that no one would be able to see his face from far away. As he assumed, though many people at this party knew who he was, nobody knew what he looked like besides Francesco, Ambra, and Angelo. Perhaps Grimaldi may have had _some_ idea, but he was pretty sure that the man had never laid eyes on him.

Angelo had stopped on the edge of the room. Now he was talking to someone that Ezio did not recognize. He assumed that his companion was no one of importance. Ezio got as close as he could so that he could hear what they were talking about.

"I'm really in quite a good position," Angelo spoke to his companion. "I've sent Stefano to fetch Grimaldi, and he will be with us shortly."

"What are you going to say to him?" the other, shorter man asked.

"That I _know_ that Ambra DeLuca is sleeping with Ezio Auditore," he answered. "The stupid woman basically told me so. The subject is of interest to him, you see. Grimaldi wants nothing more than leverage over Auditore so that he can draw him in and kill him. He has confronted Ambra over it before, and she denies it vehemently. I think that she may have Grimaldi convinced, but not with this. Of course I will be paid handsomely for my contribution. Not to mention, I will _also_ get to taste the little slut myself. She thinks that I am keeping her secret – Ah! _Signor_ Grimaldi. Thank you for taking the time to-"

"Enough," Adamo said as he held up his hand to silence Angelo. "Just say what you want to say. You've called me away from a rather stimulating conversation."

"Right. Of course," Angelo stammered. Even his smooth, calm demeanor was upset in the presence of Grimaldi. "I'll get straight to it, then …" Ezio went into panic mode. The last thing that he wanted to do was draw attention to himself here. He was hoping that he would get to kill Angelo in private. But he couldn't allow this man to talk. The only thing that was keeping Ambra afloat was that Grimaldi did not know for _sure_ whether or not Ambra was really seeing him. As long as Ambra could keep that a secret, they were still in business. If it wasn't a secret, well, then Adamo would have the upper hand and Ambra's place in this plan was no longer secure. Not to mention, if her husband knew …

Naturally, Ezio could protect her, but then he would have to find another way to get the information he needed. Not to mention she would have to go into hiding. Ezio had safe houses, but none that he would want to put her in. Not in her condition.

"_Non ho una scelta …"_ Ezio spoke under his breath as he removed two knives from their hiding place at his waist.

"I think that I have some-" Angelo began, but he was not able to get out his words, for Ezio had jumped past Adamo and planted his knife right in Angelo's throat. He quickly drew it out, and blood spurted everywhere as Ezio turned to his nameless companion, who also had to die. Ezio hated to do it, but he knew as well. The least he could do was make it quick. With both knives, he thrust upwards beneath the man's chin, sending the blades through his head.

There was a great commotion as those who were nearby saw and scream. Soon others were panicking for the sheer fact that others were doing the same. This was good. Ezio could use the chaos to escape. However, he quickly noticed that the guards were in the process of blocking the entrances. Not to mention, it was rather difficult to wade through the bodies.

"Stop him!" Ezio heard Grimaldi's shout. _"Il assassino è qui!"_

"_Merda,"_ Ezio murmured. He stood still for a second, hoping that if he didn't draw attention to himself, he would have a few precious moments to think of a plan. As he stood still, his eyes picked up on the only other person in the room who was standing still as well.

Ambra's green eyes, rimmed in smudged black kohl – she must have been crying – stared at him in shock. Sighing, Ezio ran towards her and grabbed her roughly.

"_Mi dispiace, dolcezza,"_ he murmured before spinning her around and putting one arm around her neck as he dragged her backwards. Quickly, Ambra picked up on the plan. Ezio needed an escape, and the only way he would get past all of the guards now would be with a hostage.

"Help!" Ambra screamed as loudly as she could. _"Aiuta me! Per favore!"_ Slowly, the people around her started to realize that she was in distress. Ezio wished that he had worn at least one of his hidden blades so that he could fire a silencing shot into the air, as it was, he had only his voice.

"Be still!" he ordered. His deep voice echoed amongst the cries, and soon everyone was frozen in their position. "Nobody move!" Now that it was quiet, his voice sounded ominous and intimidating.

"Ambra!" Francesco shouted from his vantage point of the balcony, where he had gone as soon as the chaos had broken out to try and spot her. "Release her, _figlio di puttana!"_

"You must think that I am stupid," Ezio stated as he lifted one of his knives to Ambra's neck. "Tell your guards to stand down or I will kill your wife."

"Francesco, please!" Ambra begged.

"Shut up," Ezio growled as he visibly tightened his hold on Ambra as much as he could without actually hurting her. "You're not going to let me hurt her, are you?"

"Let him kill her," came a voice from the other side of the crowd. Ezio's head snapped in the direction of the sound to see Adamo Grimaldi. "Once she's dead, he'll have no leverage and then he'll be at our mercy." Adamo knew that he had no say over what Francesco's guards did, but he hoped that he had some say over what Francesco did.

Francesco obviously had no intention of letting Auditore kill Ambra, but he did his best to make sure that he did not appear scared.

"Do you really think I believe that you will kill her?" Francesco inquired. "I know about you. You don't kill the innocent."

"No one is innocent," Ezio assured Francesco. "Even this pretty little wife of yours, I'm sure. I mean, she is married to Templar scum." To create the illusion that he meant business, Ezio took his knife and pressed it into the bare skin of Ambra's chest, drawing blood. She breathed in sharply, for the pain surprised her, and she whimpered as Ezio dragged the knife across her body. The wound wasn't deep, but it bled enough for Francesco to see from where he was standing. "Tell them to stand down."

"Francesco, please!" Ambra cried again. "Think of our child!" A nervous whisper went through the crowd. Francesco roared in frustration before giving the orders that the guards should let him pass.

"Wise decision," Ezio congratulated Francesco as he backed up, the crowd parting like a sea as he did so.

"What are you doing?" Francesco demanded when Auditore did not let go of Ambra.

"You _must_ think that I am stupid," Ezio told him again. "The minute I let her go, they will attack. I will release her when I am safely away from this place, and not a moment sooner. Once I am gone, your guards will not follow me. I will make sure."

Quickly, Ezio dragged Ambra towards the door of her house. Once he reached the door, he glared at the guards.

"Stay where you are!" he barked as he hastened past them. Once his boots hit the cobblestones, he started walking backwards so that he could see everything clearly. By this point, Francesco had made it to the front door and was watching as Ezio backed towards the adjacent buildings.

"You're going to pay for this, Auditore," Ambra growled as Ezio released her.

As assumed, as soon as he let her go, the guards darted after him, but before he turned to run, he murmured, "I know."

)o()o()o()o()o()o(

Forse la volta prossima: perhaps the next time

La tua sorellina: your little sister

Non ho una scelta: I don't have a choice

Il assassino è qui: The assassin is here.


	26. Il Sangue é Non Piú Denso Dell'Acqua

Once Ezio was sure that he was far enough away and that none of Francesco's guards were following him, he slowed his pace to a walk. He looked down at the knife in his hand. It still had Ambra's blood on it. Of course, it only barely covered the tip, but it was enough. Ezio of course did not think that, along with everything else that might happen to her, that _he_ might be forced to hurt Ambra. He chalked it up as necessary and shook it off as he cleaned the blood off on his pants. There was no point in feeling sorry for it, as he was positive that she was already thinking up ways to get back at him for it.

He just hoped that his actions would not have negative repercussions for her. Aware that Grimaldi might be suspicious of _why_ Ezio had killed Angelo, he knew that Ambra was far from clear. Not to mention, there was the issue of her sister. That is, if Adamo was telling the truth. Ambra had not demanded proof, but that was because she was surprised. Ezio was confident that once she had recovered from the shock, she would start asking questions. She would demand to see her sister before she made any further promises.

At least, he hoped that she would. She was smart, though, and he trusted her. Besides, there were more important things to worry about. Like the fact that Ambra and Francesco had been brought to Venice for the sole purpose of drawing him out. This meant that Adamo had to know about his past with her. There were very few people who knew of his history with Ambra, and Ezio already had some suspicions on who might have told.

"For her sake, I hope that I am wrong …" Ezio trailed off as he stopped and looked back in the direction of her palazzo. He wished that it was safe to turn back, to witness the aftermath. But it wasn't. At least not for her.

)o()o()o()o()o(

"Are you all right?" Francesco demanded as he ran out into the street. Ambra had been walking slowly towards him, as if she was in a daze. She figured that the shocked response would be most appropriate. Soon, she was in Francesco's arms. He didn't seem to care about the blood that was flowing from her chest; he just hugged her tight. "Come, let's get you inside." He turned and guided his wife towards the door. "The party is over!" he shouted to his guests.

"No," Ambra protested. "They don't have to leave. We can't let him have his way … it was such a nice party."

"Everyone will understand," Francesco assured her. "And there will be plenty of chances for more parties. But for now I want to get you in bed. Valentina! Good. Please fetch me a cloth and some warm water, please? I am going to see to Ambra myself."

"_Si, Signore,"_ Valentina answered as she quickly hustled down the stairs towards the kitchen. Ambra looked over her shoulder as he party dissolved into nothingness. Oh yes, Ezio would _definitely_ be paying for this.

"What happened?" Ambra inquired. "One second everything was fine and then the next there was chaos."

"Ezio Auditore is what happened," Francesco muttered darkly as he opened the door to the bedroom they shared. "He killed Angelo DeGregorio. You remember him, don't you?"

"Yes," Ambra answered as she swallowed.

"And also one of his colleagues … I'd never met the man before. I didn't even recognize his face, let alone know his name. Don't worry, my love. It is being taken care of and cleaned up right now."

"Good," Ambra answered. "I hope that he didn't get blood on the carpet."

"We can get new carpet," Francesco promised her. "What's important here is you. Are you all right? The child?"

"I'm fine," Ambra assured him as she turned her back to Francesco. "Can you untie these? I'm lucky that I haven't gotten blood on this dress already."

"Yes, of course," Francesco answered as his fingers nimbly undid the laces of his wife's bodice. He helped her get out of the dress, and looked at her as she stood there in his chemise.

"Is Adamo angry that you didn't let him kill me?" Ambra asked.

"Probably," Francesco answered with a shrug. "But it doesn't matter. You couldn't possibly think that I would have traded you for him, could you?"

"I wasn't sure," Ambra answered honestly. The only reason she had not been fearful for her life in that situation was because she knew that Ezio would not really hurt her. Sure, she had a small scratch on her chest and a little bruise on her neck from where he had tightened his grip, but other than that she was completely unharmed. Francesco stopped looking at her body and instead looked into her eyes. Ambra was shocked to see they held genuine hurt.

"You can't really think so poorly of me, Ambra," he said softly.

"You can't possibly know what I am capable of thinking," Ambra responded coldly, taking no sympathy on him. Francesco sighed as he sat down on the foot of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"When I saw that animal with his hands on you," he began, "I felt more rage than I have ever felt before in my life. The only thing that kept me standing still was the knife at your throat. I didn't think he would hesitate to kill you if I made any wrong movements."

"Am I supposed to think that you are brave enough to engage an assassin in hand to hand combat?" Ambra inquired as Valentina entered with the bowl of warm water and clean rags. _"Grazie, Valentina."_

"No," Francesco answered, "but you _should_ believe that I would do anything for you," he told her as he stood up and crossed the room in two strides so that he could stand right in front of her. "God damn it, Ambra. You want me to admit it? Fine. I'll admit it. I killed your father. Is that what you wanted to hear? I killed your father because I wanted you _so _badly, but I knew that the only way I would have you was if your father was dead and your mother forced you to marry me." Both Ambra and Valentina froze where they were. However, Valentina quickly recovered herself and decided that it was a good time to leave the room.

"Yes, Ambra, I committed a mortal sin for your sake. No amount of repentance I can do will change that. I killed a man. I am _going to hell_ because I wanted you so badly. But I would do it over again in a heartbeat. You are the one thing in my life that I am proud of, Ambra. Do you think I would just give you away for Ezio Auditore to kill? Do you think I would waste it like that?"

"You gave me away to Adamo happily enough," Ambra told him, surprised that she actually had the ability to speak. Of course she had suspected this for quite some time, but it was very shocking to hear the words from Francesco's mouth. Openly.

"I did not do that _happily_," Francesco assured her. "And he _promised_ me that he would not hurt you." Francesco shook his head. "But that's not the point, Ambra. The point is … I would die before I let anything bad happen to you."

"If this is supposed to make me feel anything, Francesco," Ambra began as she took the rag and warm water and began cleaning herself up, "it's not working."

"Because you are heartless and cold," Francesco answered.

"If I am so, it is because you made me this way," she answered as she glared at her reflection in the mirror. It was difficult to see herself by the candle light, but she didn't dare look anywhere else. "I will never forgive you, Francesco. I will honor the vow that I made before God, and I will serve you faithfully as a wife because I don't have any other choice, but I will _not_ forgive you, and I am sure that I will _never_ love you."

"You could kill me," Francesco suggested as he stood behind her. "I would not resist you if you really had it in your mind to end my life."

"You may have damned me in life, but I will not allow you send me to hell after I'm dead," Ambra answered. "As it is, I know that at least when I am dead, you will not be able to plague me."

"So that's how it is, then," Francesco murmured, the look in his eyes changing from soft and sympathetic to hard and full of hate. "You will not love me, and you will not kill me." He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around roughly, grabbing her by the hair and forcing her to look him right in the eyes. "Then you will fear me. I will have _some_ emotion from you, and I do not care what it is."

"What is there in you to fear?" Ambra sneered. "You're a fool and a coward." Francesco threw her away as he turned in discuss. Unbalanced, Ambra fell into her vanity, upsetting the perfumes and make up that she kept there. The mirror fell and crashed onto the floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Ambra thought about how easy it would be to take one of those pieces and shove it through his neck. Then, she remembered the blade that was hidden at her wrist. _That_ would be just as easy.

She stared at his back as he glared out of their bedroom window and realized that what she was doing was extremely foolish. Ezio needed her husband to trust her. Without his trust, she was useless to him. Slowly, she crossed the room. She touched him lightly, but he did not respond to her.

"I'm sorry, Francesco," she said softly after a minute or so.

"You're not," Francesco assured her.

"I am," Ambra insisted, loathe to take back her words, but knowing that it was necessary. "I … I'm just in a bit of shock. I've never had a knife to my throat before. I was frightened, and you took so long to tell the guards to stand down. I was angry at you-"

"Save, it, Ambra," Francesco interrupted. "Leave me alone."

"No," she insisted. "Not until you listen to me. I don't want you to be angry with me, Francesco. I know I can be hurtful at times … but you have to understand … you have hurt me, too."

"And I'm _sorry_ for it," he answered as he finally turned around and glared at her. "I want nothing more than … to make things right, Ambra. I'll do anything it takes, I swear. I can become a husband that you will be proud to have." Ambra didn't say anything. She even stopped herself from shaking her head. For the first time, she realized that there really was something wrong with Francesco. He was probably legitimately crazy. For some reason, he thought that she could really love him again after his admission of murder. He seemed to think that it was _normal_ to kill the father of the girl he was suiting when he was informed that he couldn't have her.

For now, Ambra was going to have to let him think it. She didn't understand it, and she certainly wished that she didn't have to, but she was going to have to deal with it.

"You have had a trying night," Ambra said to him. "I think you should go to sleep. I will have Valentina clean this up in the morning." She gestured towards the shattered mirror. Francesco nodded.

"Will you come to bed with me?" he asked. Ambra looked at him, and then at the bed. Sensing her hesitation, Francesco stopped her from speaking. "I understand. You need time. I will give it to you." He kissed Ambra on the forehead. "Go to sleep, my love. We'll both feel better in the morning."

)o()o()o()o()o(

The next day, Ambra stared at her window, contemplating whether or not she should open it. She stared down at her chest, where the wound Ezio had inflicted had scabbed over. It itched like hell.

Maybe she wouldn't let him see her until it was completely healed. That would show him for sure. It would probably only take a few days.

"He had better be praying that it doesn't scar," she thought out loud as she turned away without opening the window. She knew that she was being silly, that Ezio had needed to show that he was willing to kill her if it was necessary, but Ambra saw him as her protector. He should have thought of something else. As Ambra went to sit down on her couch, Valentina came in carrying her clothes for the day, all freshly pressed. It didn't matter, as Ambra didn't seem to have anywhere to go, but she only had so much longer to wear the clothes that she liked.

"Francesco is gone, my lady," Valentina reminded her. "Would you like me to open the window so that _Messer_ Auditore knows that he may enter?"

"No," Ambra answered flippantly. "I'm angry with him."

"What for?" Valentina answered.

"For giving me this," Ambra answered as she pointed to her chest.

"It seemed that it might have been necessary at the time," Valentina said to her mistress as she went about the room tidying things up. "What was he _doing_ here, anyway? That was extremely reckless."

"I don't know," Ambra answered with a shrug. "I certainly did not tell him to come. And the party was going so well, too."

"It was a great success until the little mishap," Valentina agreed. "But you will be happy to know that the blood made no lasting damaged. Ezio was nice enough to kill them on the marble instead of the carpet. It was easy to clean."

"Oh, well thank heavens for small mercies, hm?" Ambra replied sarcastically.

"There will be other parties, _Signora,"_ Valentina assured her mistress, annoyed that she was so upset over something so silly. Ambra did not know what it was to have true worry, it seemed. This spoiled little girl from the countryside knew nothing of life. She stayed shut up in her palace all day, just waiting for her lover to come in through her window. Valentina doubted that she had ever worked a single day in her life.

Ambra, of course, could not be bothered with what her maid was thinking. Now her thoughts had turned to her sister. Allegra was in danger because of her, and Ambra was going to have to do _something_ about it. She was sure that Grimaldi would be expecting some sort of rescue attempt. Doubtless sending Ezio into one would be as good as sending him into a trap. No, she was going to have to be a little subtler with this issue.

"Help me get dressed, Valentina," Ambra ordered as she stood up. "We're going to be paying the Grimaldis a visit."

)o()o()o()o()o(

Ezio stared at Ambra's window, waiting for the moment that she would throw it open. He was eager to talk to her, to once again apologize for last night. After all, if he could have been more discreet, there would have been no need for bloodshed, as minor as it was.

However, the window stayed firmly closed, and Ezio was starting to become anxious. He knew that Francesco was gone. He had seen him leave an hour earlier. He hadn't been waiting for an hour, of course. He had done a few other things and then come back, expecting Ambra to be ready to receive him, but she wasn't.

"What is going on …" he murmured beneath his breath. His question was partially answered a few minutes later when he watched Ambra walk out of the door, accompanied by only her maid. Obviously, Francesco had the carriage, and clearly Ambra was ready to walk. To where, he had no idea, but he was intent on finding out.

After insisting that the guards need not accompany her, that she would be fine with just her maid, she set off to the right.

"What are you doing, Ambra?" Ezio asked himself as he kept her within his sights, but remained distant. She rarely went anywhere without a real escort, as she didn't know her way around the city. He assumed that Valentina might, but Ezio doubted the maid's ability to defend herself in a fight, let alone Ambra. Vaguely, Ezio considered the possibility that he was being slightly _over_protective. Worrying about Ambra certainly dominated his time.

However, he dismissed that notion as he began to follow her. Anyone who wanted to criticize his anxiety for the mother of his child could either get over it or … as a matter of fact, that was the only option.

)o()o()o()o()o(

"Are you sure that this is a good idea, _Madonna?"_ Valentina asked as she and Ambra stood at the door of the Grimaldi palazzo. "I feel like it might be unwise to walk straight into the house of a man who probably means you physical harm. Alone."

"I'm not alone," Ambra reminded her maid. "You are here." Valentina sighed audibly as the door opened to reveal one of the Grimaldi's servants. Clearly he recognized Ambra, for he looked extremely surprised to see her.

"_Signora _DeLuca …" he trailed off. "I – can I help you?"

"I was hoping that your master might be home," she answered.

"He has been gone since early morning," the servant answered. "He did not specify when he would be returning. However, my mistress is available, if you think that she might be able to help you."

"No," Ambra answered quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was speak with Elettra Grimaldi. "No, I don't think that she could help me. Could I possibly leave a card so that your master knows that I was asking after him."

"Of course," he answered as he led Ambra to the corner of the entrance hall, where a silver plate full of blank sat. Ambra left her name and the time that she called on a card and gave it to the butler. _"Grazie."_ The servant nodded as he led Ambra and Valentina back to the door.

As he closed the door behind them, he shook his head. Obviously, the woman was crazy. The entire staff was aware of what had passed between Ambra and Adamo Grimaldi. The last thing any of them would have expected was for her to show up there. Accompanied by only her maid, no less.

"She must have a death wish …"

)o()o()o()o()o(

While her sister was wandering around in the high-rent district, Allegra Conti was pacing back and forth in the small room in which she had resided few days. Adamo Grimaldi had told her that he would be there at some point in the day, and she was becoming anxious. She was very much aware of the situation in the world outside her. If Adamo had followed through on his promises, Ambra would now know that Allegra was in the city.

Obviously, Allegra could not be _positive_ about how her sister might react, but she _hoped_ that she would react as a sister should. Otherwise …

Allegra was snapped by her reverie by the sound of the locks on the door tumbling. She stood up and straightend out her dress as she faced the door. When Adamo Grimaldi entered the room, he was greeted with the sight of Allegra Conti standing straight, dressed well in blue silk, her green eyes staring directly at him. She didn't look much like her sister. No, only the eyes were an echo of the woman who was giving him such problems lately. Allegra's face was completely without freckles, and her hair was a respectable dirty blonde.

"I hope that your new accommodations are to your liking," Adamo said as he looked around the room.

"They're certainly more comfortable than my cabin on the ship," Allegra told him as she stepped towards him. "I don't know why you made me take a boat the entire way. It would have been much better if I had traveled by carriage."

"It was the quickest way to get you here," Adamo answered as Allegra stepped into his embrace, surprising Adamo slightly. He did not put his arms around her, but rather he put his hands on her shoulders and held her at arm's length.

"Then I guess I can forgive you," Allegra purred. "After all, I have been waiting for months for you to send for me. I was beginning go think that you had forgotten me, or that you were starting to prefer Ambra."

"Believe me, that will never happen," Adamo assured Allegra. "Your sister has given me more headaches than I like to admit."

"She always was a little stubborn," Allegra responded as she sat down on her bed. "I guess that she has been giving you problems? I would not know because you don't keep me updated on anything. I can't tell you how many days I eagerly awaited the post hoping to get a letter from you."

"Well, Ambra has kept me very busy," Adamo answered as he walked over to the window at the side of the room and looked down at the street. He could see his men waiting by the doors of the inn in which he had paid for a room for Allegra to live during her stay in Venice. "Of course, it doesn't help that the information you gave me did not help at all."

"What do you mean?" Allegra inquired, her heartbeat quickening a few beats.

"I _mean_," Adamo began, frustrated, "that your sister has had very little contact with Auditore since she got here, and whatever contact that was obviously didn't mean much, for he held her at knife point last night in front of a room full of people." Allegra's eyes widened to the point where Adamo thought that they might have fallen out of her head. Once more, he sighed.

"Well, how was I supposed to know what would happen once she got here?" Allegra inquired. "I only told you that they had a past, and that if he knew she was in Venice, he might be inclined to rekindle an old flame."

"Yes, and all of the effort has come to nothing, it seems," Adamo snapped at Allegra, causing the girl to flinch. "I _finally_ told her that I have been holding you hostage because I had no other options, only then did she say that she would even _try_ to seek Auditore out." It was clear that Adamo was becoming very angry. "When I came to Monteriggioni looking for something to hold over the assassin's head, I thought that I had found everything I needed when you told me about your sister. But of course, your family has only been the cause of headaches."

"I gave you no guarantees!" Allegra exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down, woman," Adamo spat as he crossed the room in one stride and loomed over her. "_You_ will not speak to me that way." Allegra back up a little and then turned her back on him and walked over to her bed.

"I'm sorry," she answered. "I'm just … upset that I wasn't able to help you in the way that I thought I could."

"Yes, well, hopefully all hope is not lost and you can be of _some_ use to me," he muttered. "Your sister knows that you are in _Venezia._ Doubtless, she is going to ask for proof of your safety and well-being. She is not like you, it seems. She appears to actually care for her family."

"Of course she does," Allegra scoffed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "As soon as she was married, she forgot all about us. Of course she threw money our way every once in a while, but if I saw her once every two months it was a lot."

"Yes, well, you are going to be seeing her again soon, I am sure," Adamo told her as he approached her and stroked her cheek softly. "And you're going to have to be very convincing."

"I will say and do whatever you want me to," Allegra assured him as she looked up into his eyes. "Anything."

"Good," Adamo said, his mouth curling into an evil smile as he used the hand that had been softly stroking her skin to deliver a hard smack across her face. "We'll get started, then."

)o()o()o()o()o(

"If you don't mind my asking, _Madonna_," Valentina began, "what were you planning on doing once you had gotten an audience with _Signor _Grimaldi?"

"You know, Valentina," Ambra answered, "I hadn't really thought about that. I never really think that far ahead. I was hoping to ask him about my sister. He is apparently holding her hostage. But, who knows what turns the conversation would have taken? Adamo is not very predictable. He seems to always have an Ace in his hand. I find that having a plan where he is concerned is often futile."

"So you were just going to walk into the house of a man who tried to rape you and … make it up as you went along?"

"Yes, Valentina. My, you can be rather slow sometimes …"

"Well, where are we going now?" Valentina inquired. Ambra stood in the street and looked in all directions. Naturally, she didn't have much of an idea of where she was, nor did she have any idea where she was going. She doubted that Adamo would keep Allegra in his house. That would be too easy. Ezio would be able to get into it very easily. No, he would be hiding her somewhere. If only she had gotten there sooner, she would have been able to follow him to wherever he was keeping her.

Ambra was doing her best to hide her anxiety over her little sister, but it was getting harder and harder. She had an idea of what the man was capable of, and her guilt over the fact that she had just exposed her sister to his cruelty was almost too much to bear.

"I wish that you would tell me what you're thinking as you're thinking it," Valentina told her. "It would make this a lot less stressful."

"I don't know what I am thinking," Ambra answered. "I don't know what to do next. I have no idea where we should start looking."

"Well, I know that you do not want to talk to him," Valentina began, "but I bet that Ezio would have some idea." Ambra narrowed her eyes at her maid, who did not back down. "I'm serious. He knows the city, he knows its underground. He could help you and would _jump_ at the chance to do so."

"You talk about him as if I don't know him very intimately," Ambra stated. "Of course Ezio will be willing to help, but as soon as he gets involved, he will want to rescue her, and as soon as he does that, Adamo is going to know that I am in league with him. If I do this myself, it will look more like I am operating alone."

"You could always just _tell_ Ezio about this plan," Valentina told her.

"The less he is involved, the better," Ambra told her.

"This is silly. You're just mad at him for scratching you. In all honesty, I think it was a great idea. What was he _doing_ there anyway?"

"Angelo DeGregoio," Ambra answered. "He was there to kill him. I am not angry about his escape plan. In fact I think that it was wonderful. He managed to escape while diffusing any suspicion that we might be together. However, it was _incredibly_ stupid of him to kill Angelo _in my house_. Don't you think his murder will arouse some questions?"

"Even if they do," Valentina began, "I doubt that they will have anything to do with you. Does anyone besides Ezio know of your interactions with Angelo?"

"I'm not sure," Ambra answered. "He could have told anyone. I imagine he told the other man that Ezio killed, otherwise he would probably still be alive."

"Well regardless of who he told," Valentina continued, "I doubt that you are helping matters by aimlessly wandering the streets. Who knows who is out here watching you? I think we should go home where it is safe." Ambra couldn't fault her maid's logic. Perhaps it had been foolish to go tearing into Grimaldi's house. What had she been hoping to accomplish, anyway?

"You're right …" Ambra finally admitted. "Let's go home." Valentina heaved a sigh of relief as the two women turned around and started to walk in the direction of the DeLuca palazzo. Ambra and Valentina had been walking for a few minutes when suddenly, Ambra was pulled roughly into an alleyway, her mouth covered by a strong, gloved hand. She struggled for a moment until she recognized the mechanism hiding on the wrist of her captor. Now, rather than try to attract attention, she rammed her foot down on Ezio's boot, hoping to get some sort of reaction, but he didn't even flinch.

"Compared to me, you are very small, _dolcezza_," Ezio reminded her. "If you want to do damage, you're going to need a weapon."

_How's this for a weapon?_ Ambra thought to herself as she flicked her wrist down and turned her arm so that she could flail at Ezio's body. She made contact with something, and he hissed in pain but did not let go.

"That's more like it, _amore mio_," Ezio said as he finally released her. She reeled on him and fixed a glare upon his face, quickly scanning his body for any damage she might have caused. There was a small gash on his leg, but that was it. She sighed and looked at her cuff before allowing the blade to retreat into its hiding place. "Now, what do you think you are doing wandering the streets of _Venezia_ with no one but a maid to protect you?"

"I would like to think that I can step out into broad daylight safely," Ambra answered as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"If you were anyone but you, I would say that you could," Ezio told her. "As it is, there's probably a price for you somewhere. I'd just as soon not have to pay it. What do you think you're doing?"

"Have you been following me?" Ambra asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ezio answered, "and honestly, I'm not sure what you were thinking going to the Grimaldi house. What did you think that you would accomplish?"

"The man has my _sister_, Ezio," Ambra reminded him. "I can't just sit in my house all day waiting for him to return her to me."

"Well," Ezio began, "as noble as that is, Ambra, he definitely isn't going to give up his bargaining chip. Even if he _is_ keeping her in his house, which I doubt, he's not going to make it easy for you. I'll try and figure out where she is, but you know that I cannot rescue her, right Ambra? Not if we want to keep up this charade."

"I know," Ambra answered as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and hugged her elbows. "I just need to know that she's safe, Ezio. If any harm comes to her because of me …"

"Hush," Ezio cooed as he grabbed Ambra and pulled her into him. "I'm not going to let anything happen to your sister. I'll figure out where she is, all right? I don't want you to worry about it. I just want you to keep doing what you have been doing." He smiled. "How did your husband respond to Angelo's death?"

"I don't know," Ambra answered. "I didn't really talk to him about it. Last night we quarreled for a little after everything settled down."

"He didn't put his hands on you, did he?" Ezio inquired. Ambra shook her head.

"No, he wouldn't dare, now," she assured him. "He wants this baby very much." For the first time, Ezio really considered the fact that this baby would not be recognized as his, but Francesco's. Assuming, of course, that it didn't come out with dark hair and brown eyes. That would be a dead give away.

He waved the thought away. Ezio had about eight more months to deal with Francesco. With any luck, by the time Ambra had the baby, her husband would be dead.


	27. Facciamo Ciò Che Dobbiamo Fare

I'm sorry that this has taken so long, everyone! Things are finally starting to slow down at school so I had some time to finish this chapter (which I actually started a pretty long time ago.) Hopefully I will be able to update more frequently, now! Just have to get back into the swing of things! I will admit there are some aspects of the plot that I have forgotten! But don't worry I am going to reread everything and hopefully this story will be better than ever!

)o()o()o()o(

"Go home, _dolcezza_," Ezio murmured, aware that his time there was running out. He didn't care that Valentina would definitely have noticed that Ambra was missing. But, if there were people following Ambra, then they would be able to see him, soon. He realized that he was being a little paranoid, but figured that it was best to err on the side of caution.

"That's just where I was heading," Ambra assured him. "My little trip to Adamo's was obviously useless." As she looked away from him, Ezio could clearly see the anxiety she was feeling. "Please find her, Ezio."

"I will," he promised as he kissed her forehead. "I will follow you home from a distance to make sure you are safe." Ambra nodded as she started to make her way out of the alleyway. Valentina was waiting at the entrance to it when she once again saw the daylight.

"Thank you for waiting," said Ambra. "I was not expecting that. Apologies."

"Does he know where your sister is?" Valentina inquired. Ambra shook her head.

"No," she responded, "but he is going to look for her." Valentina, who had two younger sisters of her own, could identify with Ambra's struggle.

"Are you two very close?" she asked. "You and your sister, I mean?'

"We _were_," Ambra responded. "Once I was married, though, Adamo didn't really allow me to see much of my family."

"Why?" Valentina asked.

"The circumstances under which Francesco and I were married were … not ideal. I didn't really want to, but my father had just died and I have no brothers, so my family was at risk of losing everything they had. I did it for them, and I think Francesco knew that. I guess he wanted to keep me from seeing them so that I would have to cling to him," Ambra explained. "And I guess after a while I started to."

"He doesn't seem like he would be that awful," Valentina told her.

"Yes, well, you are not married to him," Ambra reminded her.

"I don't think I would mind it," Valentina answered, suddenly realizing that she was probably speaking out of place. But she had already said so there was no point in wishing she hadn't.

"And a lot of times I think I wouldn't mind being in your place, either," Ambra answered on a sigh. "Maybe one day we'll do a swap to see how we really like it."

"I just may hold you to that, _Madonna_," Valentina responded with a smile.

"Feel free," Ambra responded with a shrug. "I would love to be free of my husband for a day."

)o()o()o()o(

When he walked into his house and checked on the cards that had been left for him while he was out, Adamo was shocked to see Ambra De Luca's tidy handwriting staring back at him. What on Earth had she been doing there? Of course, it didn't take Adamo long to come to the conclusion that she was here to ask after her sister. Upon questioning his butler, he found out that Ambra had arrived with only her maid to accompany her.

Meanwhile, _he_ had been traipsing around the city. If only he had been home; it would have been a perfect chance to really get his hands on Ambra …

However, there was no point on dwelling in the past. The message on the card informed Adamo that she just wanted to speak to her sister and know that she was safe. This was, of course, exactly what he was expecting and hoped for. She would talk to Allegra all right, and hopefully this would achieve the desired effect. Either Ambra would give up Auditore for her sister, or she would put more effort into seeking him out. Either way, Adamo would win.

"You look pleased about something," Elettra informed him as she approached from behind. Signora Grimaldi had been cooped up in her house for a while, due to Adamo's rumor, and she was beginning to go a little stir crazy. She wasn't normally there to greet him when he came home, but she was pleased to not be in the house by herself.

"Ambra De Luca stopped by," Adamo drawled lazily as he threw the card back onto the silver plate near the door. "She wanted to speak with me. It is a shame that you missed her. You could have entertained her until I returned."

"I doubt that I could have done that," Elettra corrected. "I can't stand the girl."

"Regardless, you would have done it," Adamo assured her.

"Well, what did she stop in for?" Elettra inquired, deciding that they would avoid a discussion of what she would and would not do.

"Her sister," he answered. "I have her." Elettra's eyes opened widely in surprise.

"When were you planning on telling me about this?" Elettra inquired.

"I really didn't think it was something that would interest you," Adamo answered. "And I don't really see why it should interest you _now_, Elettra."

"Because you are my husband," Elettra answered. "Anything that you do interests me."

Adamo laughed as he walked through the palazzo to his office. "That is the best story that I have heard today," he told her. "Please, Elettra, don't pretend that anything I do interests you farther than the money it brings in to buy your clothes and throw your parties." Adamo sat down at his desk and made it quite clear that the conversation was over. Elettra stared at the top of her husband's head for a moment before turning on her heel and leaving the room.

Needless to say, it didn't exactly please her that her husband was going around keeping young girls hostage, even if the hostage _was_ the younger sister of someone she didn't particularly care for. Naturally, her concern wasn't for Ambra or for the hostage, it was what her husband might be _doing _with said hostage that worried her. If Adamo wasn't going to give her the information that she needed, she was just going to have to gather it herself.

Elettra quickly gave the order to have the carriage prepared. She was going to be making a trip, and she hoped that the driver would be helpful.

)o()o()o()o()o(

Feeling incredibly impotent, Ambra walked back into her house. Once more, she was reduced a useless piece of the game, her status as a woman working endlessly against her. Normally, she wouldn't care that much. In other circumstances, she would be more than happy to allow Ezio to take control and solve the problem. But this was her sister that they were talking about. Her _little_ sister.

"Oh, Allegra …" she murmured to herself as she moved through the house. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Are you talking about Allegra?" Francesco inquired as he surprised Ambra from behind.

"Ehm … yes," Ambra answered, figuring that it probably would be better if she didn't try to deny it, but spin a story about it. "I was just thinking about how much I miss her. Just thinking out loud."

"Hm," Francesco murmured. "Well, it wouldn't be out of the question for her to visit! You should send her a letter and see if she would like to come. I will make all of the arrangements of course." Ambra smiled as Francesco spoke. This was good. She wasn't sure if he was acting, or if he really didn't know that Allegra was already in the city, but it didn't really matter. If she wrote a letter home asking her sister to visit her, surely some sort of alarm would be raised.

"That is a great idea, darling," Ambra informed her husband as she kissed him on the cheek and brushed by him. "I am going to do that right now."

"If you write it quickly, I will be able to take it with me before I leave for my business. I'm afraid that I will be spending the night out of town, _tesora_. Maybe two nights, depending on my travel," Francesco said with an apologetic tone. She stopped in her tracks in surprise, and Francesco mistook it for dismay and continued to explain himself. "I'm sorry it can't be avoided. You know that I hate to leave you. There is a shipment coming from Padova, and its nature is … delicate. I'm afraid that I have to bring it here myself."

Ambra fixed a smile on her face and turned around.

"Oh, don't mind for me, Francesco," she said reassuringly. "I will be fine."

"I know that you will," he told her as he walked towards her and hugged her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I've hired guards for every entrance, as well as two to stay inside the house." Ambra was pleased that her face was shielded from her husband, because her smile immediately disappeared. She tried to hide it by asking a question.

"Is this a trip that you are making for Adamo?" Ambra inquired.

"_Signor Grimaldi_," Francesco began, indicating that he would rather Ambra did not call him by his Christian name, "suggested that I make the trip to Padova at your party. I wasn't going to, but the little stunt that Auditore pulled has pushed my hand."

"What is the shipment?" Ambra inquired.

"Nothing that should concern you," Francesco assured her.

"Is this shipment a person?" Ambra inquired, wanting to make sure that no other people she valued would be shipped into Venice for hostage purposes. Francesco laughed as he let go of her.

"No," he responded. "At least not that I know of. I'm sorry, Ambra, I can't really tell you what it is. It's one of those things that the less people who know, the better. But let's forget about it. Write your letter. I will be leaving very soon." Francesco turned and started walking towards the stairs, probably to see to some last minute packing. Ambra sighed as she walked towards Francesco's study for some paper and a pen.

She entered the room and sat down at the desk, pulling a piece of parchment from the edge of the desk, and a quill from the holder on the corner. However, the ink was nowhere to be found, so she opened the desk drawer and started searching through it, pawing through piles of disorganized correspondence, most of it having to do with Francesco's business, she was sure.

A lot to do with apples. Ambra wasn't exactly sure what all the interest in fruit was, nor was she sure on where Francesco might keep his ink. She closed the drawer and looked around the desk. It was a little messy; it was possible that she had just overlooked it.

There it was. She pulled the inkwell out and dipped the quill into it, ready to compose her letter. She did it quickly, expressing how much she missed both of her younger sisters and how much she would enjoy it if they took a trip to Venice to visit her.

She was sealing the envelope as Francesco entered his study, dressed in traveling clothes.

"I'm leaving," he told her. "Do you have your letter?"

"Yes, I do," Ambra stated as she stood up and walked over to her husband, placing the letter in his hands. "Travel safely, Francesco."

"Don't you worry about me," Francesco assured her as he kissed her on the forehead. "You just behave, and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'm sure this is not what your husband had in mind when he told you to behave," Ezio murmured in Ambra's ear as the two of them lay in her bed later that night. When Ezio learned that Francesco would be leaving the city, he wasted no time in getting Ambra into bed. There were so few times when they could actually have their little interludes in an actual bed.

"I'm sure that I do a lot of things that my husband doesn't have in mind when he gives me instructions," Ambra responded as she rolled on top of Ezio, smoothing some of the hair that had fallen across his forehead. As much as she wanted to live in the moment and just enjoy the fact that she was able to be in Ezio's company without the worry that her husband was going to walk in any moment, but she couldn't.

"Did you make any progress on Allegra?" she inquired. Ezio sighed as he moved his hands to her waist.

"_Mi dispiace, dolcezza,"_ Ezio murmured into her neck. "By the time I was able to track him down, he was home, and he didn't leave again while I was watching his house. And then his wife took the carriage out, anyway."

"_Dov'è andata?"_ Ambra inquired.

"I'm not sure," Ezio answered. "Probably somewhere silly and inconsequential."

"But how do you know that?" Ambra inquired. "What if she is in on it, too? What if she found out that Grimaldi is holding her hostage … maybe as some kind of … I don't know … some kind of _sex_ _slave_, so she got angry, went over there, and killed her."

"I highly doubt that that happened," Ezio assured her, laughing at Ambra's extreme paranoia. "She did not look particularly murderous as she was leaving."

"The woman is a snake. I'm sure that she is quite capable of looking perfectly happy as she was going to murder an innocent girl." Now Ambra was getting sufficiently worked up. The idea that Elettra Grimaldi killed her sister had settled quite nicely in her mind, and it was starting to sound reasonable. "In fact, she probably wouldn't even have to try."

"_Calmati, Ambra,"_ Ezio said as he took Ambra's face between his hands to calm her down. "I don't see why Grimaldi would want your sister dead, and I'm sure that his wife would not do anything that could possibly upset him. Even if she _did_ go to see your sister, she probably only roughed her up a little bit-" This didn't succeed in helping Ambra feel better at all. In fact, it only made things worse. She groaned as she rolled out of the bed, grabbing her silk robe on the way to the door that led to the balcony that overlooked the canal as she went to stand in front of it. She leaned against the frame and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Ezio didn't move from his position on the bed. Instead, he put his hands behind his head and looked at her back as she stood in front of the window. The sun was just about to set, and orange glow seemed to set Ambra on fire. Quite on their own, thoughts of Ambra a few months from now, belly swollen with his child, came flooding to his mind.

Finally, Ambra looked back at him.

"You do not look sufficiently upset," she informed him.

"It would be impossible to be upset, looking at what I am looking at right now," Ezio told her, but Ambra was unimpressed by his overture. "Besides, I am very confident that your sister is fine," Ezio continued. "Or at least that she is alive. Grimaldi would not tell you that he had her, just to kill her the next day. That would completely defeat the purpose and alienate you from him, and that is the last thing he wants." Finally Ezio sat up and put his feet on the floor, but didn't bother standing up. _"Fidati di me."_

"She's my _sister_, Ezio. How would you feel if it was Claudia?"

Obviously, Ezio did not need Ambra to tell him to consider this perspective. As soon as he found out about the situation, he had the urge to hurry back to Monteriggioni and check on his own sister. However he had resisted and written a quick letter instead.

"If it were Claudia, I would burn down this city to find her," Ezio promised Ambra. "And if I have to, I will burn down this city to find Allegra. But, I want to see if we can be a little more subtle, first. If it were Claudia, I wouldn't have to worry about my safety as well, but I'm not going to risk you and my child for the sake of your sister." Ezio was sure this was not what Ambra wanted to hear, but he wasn't going to lie to her on this point.

Ambra looked down at her stomach. At these early stages, it was extremely easy to forget that any recklessness could have extreme repercussions.

"So what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to find her," Ezio promised. "I'm very good at what I do. If she is in this city, I will find her. Then from there we will decide what to do." Ezio quickly lunged for Ambra and caught her around the waist. "But right now, there are more pressing issues on my mind."

)o()o()o()o(

Ezio left Ambra while she was still sleeping early the next morning. He didn't think that she would be too pleased by the action, but he needed to get out of there before the house started waking up, and she just looked so peaceful lying there. Ezio hated to disturb that peace, especially since she seemed to get so little of it lately.

So, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before walking over to the door, using his eagle vision to make sure that there was no one in the corridor. There wasn't, so he exited the room and made his way to the usual blind spot. However, he hadn't accounted for the nearby stairway, and when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, he immediately hastened his step. Unfortunately, he was not quick enough.

Luckily, it was only Valentina who was making her way up the stairs.

"I was just about to come in and warn you that you should leave," she told him slowly and nervously. As much as she saw him, she was still shy to talk to him. There was something very dangerous about Ezio. He didn't scare her mistress, but he definitely scared Valentina. After all, everyone heard rumors of the famous assassin. Of course, no one who spread those rumors knew anything about him, and some of them were perhaps more gruesome than necessary, but that didn't stop her from being cautious around him. "The rest of the servants will be here, soon."

"_Grazie, _Valentina," Ezio responded with a small bow. He turned around to continue on his way, but then stopped mid-stride to turn back around and address her. "I know that she is a handful, but she is going through a great deal right now. She tries to hide how scared she is from everyone, even from me …" Ezio looked at the floor, unsure of what he wanted to say to the maid. "Just … please look out for her. I do the best I can, but I can't be with her always. You can."

"I will do my best," Valentina assured him with a small nod of her head. "With all due respect, you really should leave, now." Ezio nodded once more, turned on his heel, and disappeared. Valentina sighed as she looked at the door of her mistress's bedroom. Surprsingly, she felt a pang of jealousy. Why was everyone falling all over this woman? She was impetuous, headstrong, stubborn, and in possession of many other qualities that were not exactly prized in a woman.

Rolling her eyes, Valentina entered the bedroom.

)o()o()o()o(

Another dead end.

Ezio was doing all that he could to search for his lover's sister, but it seemed that none of his usual channels were open. If Grimaldi was hiding her in the city, he was doing it extremely well. He was going to have to go straight to the source if he wanted to find her, which was something he had wanted to avoid.

It was around noon, so Ezio stopped in one of his usual taverns for a bit to eat before heading back out to continue to search. As he sat with his back to the wall, he had a very good view of the room, so Rosa was not able to take him by surprise upon entering the tavern.

When she saw him, Ezio waved her over. She sat down in the empty seat and glared across the table at Ezio.

"Where have you been?" she demanded.

"Busy," Ezio responded.

"Obviously," Rosa agreed. "But exactly _what_ have you been busy doing? Surely nothing worthwhile."

"I will decide what is worthwhile to me, thank you, Rosa," Ezio assured her. "Did you come here for another purpose besides to see me?"

"No," Rosa answered. "I wanted to see you. I wanted to see what you have been doing. But you don't seem very interested to tell an old friend what is going on in your life." Ezio sighed as he put down the piece of bread he was about to put in his mouth.

"Grimaldi has Ambra's sister," he began. "I have spent my morning looking for leads to where he might be keeping her. So far I am not having very much luck."

"Why does it matter to you where he is keeping her?" Rosa inquired.

"It matters to Ambra," Ezio stated. "So it matters to me. Also, it is something Grimaldi did, so it has to have some sort of significane. Everything he has been doing lately has been with me in mind. If I can figure out what he wants with Ambra's sister, I will be a step ahead of him, as I am accustomed to being."

"If you like, I could offer some help," Rosa suggested. She hated to do anything that might benefit Ambra, but if she could get Ezio through this task more quickly, they could get things back on track.

"No, it's all right," Ezio responded. "I've already exhausted my usual resources. I'm going to have to get creative on this one. Or risky. I think I am going to have to just watch Grimaldi and see what he does."

"If you think that we have not had a man on Grimaldi for the past few days, you are far more out of the loop than I thought you were," Rosa responded. "Once we found out that there would be a … shipment coming into the city, we put men on any relevant individuals."

"And what have you found?" Ezio asked anxiously as he leaned forward.

"I don't think that you deserve to know," Rosa answered. "After all you have basically been ignoring me since your precious Ambra showed up in _Venezia._ Why should I help you now?"

"Because, Rosa, you are my friend," Ezio answered. "And you should understand when something is important to me." Rosa did not seem at all inclined to divulge whatever information she had. Ezio sighed as he reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "I know that you are jealous, _cara._ Believe me, if there was a man in this city who could hold your affections the way Ambra holds mine, I would be jealous as well." Rosa snorted as she rolled her eyes. She was aware of Ezio's game and would not succumb so easily to his charm. "She's pregnant with my child, Rosa."

Rosa's eyes shot open in surprise as she withdrew her hand.

"Do you see now? Why I'm doing this?"

"How could you have been so stupid, Ezio?" Rosa demanded. Ezio just shook his head as he leaned back against the wall.

"I thought that she was barren," he said with a shrug. "Regardless of what I thought, I have a responsibility to her, now. And she is in danger while Grimaldi is at large."

"So the only reason you're showing so much interest in her is because she is pregnant," said Rosa. It was more of a statement than a question. Ezio carefully considered his answer. If he told her what she wanted to her, she would definitely be more likely to help him, and right now help was what he needed. So, what was a little white lie in the grand scheme of things?

"Yes," Ezio answered. "I have to do what I can for her. I feel responsible. Do you see?" Rosa shrugged.

"Men have done more surprising things than abandon their children," she assured him. Ezio shook his head.

"You know that I could never do that, Rosa," he used the hand that had been holding hers to stroke her cheek. "I could abandon my child no more than I could abandon you. Now … will you help me?"

)o()o()o()o()o(

Calmati: calm yourself

Fidati di me: Trust me


	28. Chapter 28

Apologies everyone! I have not forgotten about this story, I swear! I know it has been a while since I have updated, but I'm going to read through the whole thing to try and remember where I was going with this aha. Thank you so much for all of the reviews and I think that you can expect an update within the next month or so!

Grazie!

Courtnay


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